MOUNT STERLING, KY — The new principal of Capital High School sees his new position as a homecoming.
Larry Bailey grew up in Kanawha County. He’s a graduate of Herbert Hoover High School and West Virginia State University. He was unanimously selected by the Kanawha County Board of Education for the Capital High School job Monday night.
“My family is rooted in West Virginia. My parents live in West Virginia. My daughter lives in West Virginia, this is truly coming home for me,” Bailey told 58WCHS Radio News. “Capital High School is a wonderful opportunity and I’m blessed to be given that opportunity as well as get closer to my family which is extremely important to me.”
Bailey is currently the principal of J.B. McNabb Middle School in Montgomery County, Ky. He said he wound up in Kentucky after his graduation from West Virginia State because of few teaching positions here. He relished the chance to take the reins at Capital despite the ongoing socioeconomic challenges in the student population.
“I see it as a challenge, but also an opportunity,” he said. “I’ve had several experiences working with diverse populations in high-needs schools. I believe my background knowledge has more than prepared me for what lies ahead.”
What lies ahead may be an obstacle which he had no hand in creating. Soon after he was hired, angry community residents lashed out at the school board. They wanted to see local principal Jon Anderson hired for the job.
“I can’t really control any of that,” said Bailey. “All I’m going to do is try to establish positive relationships with everybody at Capital High School, reach out to the community, and do the best I can for the students.”
Bailey said it’s still not determined when he will begin his work on the job at Capital.