DR. BEVERLY PRICE

Alexander City Schools New Superintendent Beverly Price

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY & PHOTO BY KENNETH BOONE

Chances are if you are connected to the Alexander City School system in any way you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Beverly Price, who was appointed superintendent of schools earlier this month. Price has been a source of warmth within the system since her first position as assistant principal at Radney Elementary School began in 2002. Since then, she has shared smiles, laughter, celebrations and even a few hardships with community members and coworkers she’s befriended since her arrival.

A Horseshoe Bend native, Price fell in love with the strong bond among community members in the city and said she truly feels like the support of the community heavily influences the children she has cared for daily in the schools over the course of 20 years. She plans to take full advantage of the support the school system receives from parents and other residents as she takes on her new position as superintendent of the school district, a role that she already wears well.

The sense of a new beginning for the school system is nearing as the severity of the pandemic slowly slinks away. For Price, this means zeroing in on and strengthening community and family engagement, strong qualities Alexander City offers.

“The one thing that I can say is that this community loves our schools, and they show it,” Price said. “Actually, we had a lot of people that were real concerned and complained when they couldn’t come into the schools, and so that’s a great thing. We had parents that really wanted to come in. Again, that’s why I know that we have a community that loves our school district. They’re very supportive, and we can count on them.”

Price has come to cherish not only the amazing community surrounding her, but also the coworkers that have repeatedly shown their dedication to helping students grow in more ways than one. She applauded the faculty members who have showed out for personal development over the summer, mentioning the overwhelming participation from all of the schools in the district.

Price is ambitious and determined to further improve not only the learning aspects of school days, but also, she plans to lend a hand and offer resources for the students’ emotional and wellbeing needs, too.

“Social and emotional learning is a big push in our schools, and we’re addressing that right now,” she explained. The new superintendent also plans on upping community involvement within the schools following

the pandemic-related hiatus, knowing she’s ready to see and interact with students and their families to the extent it was before COVID shut the schools down periodically. Price noted the obvious need to focus on the learning loss during the pandemic but said she realizes the students need much more than learning. Tapping into her compassion and understanding, she hopes to target all aspects of the students’ lives. Not only is Price heavily involved and interactive with students and faculty during the school year, she also makes it a priority to join in on the community togetherness by attending sporting events, plays and other events where she can get a glimpse of the students in her charge. Integrating herself into the community beyond the school system is important to Price as well. Perhaps one of the most endearing qualities of the new superintendent is her acknowledgment and implementation of necessary self-care and self-awareness in everyday life. Although she has shown her dedication to her position within the school system time and time again, Price enjoys time with herself to unwind and step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. “I make sure to take the time to do the things that I like to do. As busy as this job or any of the other jobs that I’ve had is, I’m going to take care of my job, and I’m also going to make sure I take time for myself. Every school that I’ve been at in this district, I always make sure to remind teachers that they’ve got to take care of themselves.” When she isn’t at the board office or visiting the schools to connect personally with staff and students, Price loves to spend her time reading, watching true crime shows and traveling with her family. That love of her family emulates just as easily as the love for the surrounding community. She loves interacting with her 1-year-old grandson and cannot wait to meet her next grandchild who’s already on the way. “My all-time favorite book is Charlotte’s Web. I love it, love it, love it. I love the themes in it. It’s just ‘you can’t give up,’ so that’s always been my favorite book.” Price said. Price’s recent predecessors have been hired from outside the system, but her history and longevity within Alexander City Schools have helped her develop a passion for the students and what they Passion to Succeed Left: Dr. Beverly Price begins need to succeed. She’s looking forward to applying that passion in positive ways during the next school year. her tenure as superintendent of Alexander City Schools.