After 11 years with City Schools Decatur, Oakhurst Elementary Principal Robin Fountain is leaving to become principal at James B. Edwards Elementary in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Part of the Charleston County district, Edwards has 600 students, pre-K through the fifth grade.
Meantime, during Tuesday night’s school board meeting, Superintendent David Dude announced that Fountain’s temporary replacement is Marcia Bryant-Fowler. Since Fountain’s resignation was relatively recent, Dude says he may go the entire 2017-18 year with Bryant-Fowler as interim. She’s been at Oakhurst for 19 years, most recently as instructional coach.
After previously living seven years in Charleston, teaching mostly the first grade, Fountain told the AJC during a Tuesday interview she figured on moving back someday, if only to retire.
“I love Charleston,” she said. “I love the history, the charm, the cultural arts, the theater, the beach and the people.”
Fountain came to Decatur in 2006, initially as a third grade teacher at Oakhurst and later an instructional coach at Clairemont Elementary. In 2013 she became principal at Oakhurst, replacing Mary Mack, who’d been there the previous 21 years. Fountain leaves with Oakhurst by far the district’s largest elementary with 519 students.
“It’s a huge loss for us and a big hole to fill,” Dude said. “She’s done a great job.”
Fountain becomes the second CSD principal to leave the system. Decatur’s Early Childhood Learning Center Principal Suzanne Kennedy announced her retirement in March. Dude anticipates hiring her replacement before the school year begins.
The search for a permanent Oakhurst principal, he said, probably won’t commence until November.
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