Bonner ready to explore new avenues
While he says he’s loved every minute of his 31-year career, Bobby Ray Elementary principal Bob Bonner feels now’s the time to do something different.
“It’s so exciting to be my age and have so many choices and so many options,” Bonner said. “This is an exciting time in my life. The easiest thing for me to do would be to stay here, but I want take the risk and try some new challenges.”
Bonner began his career with Warren County Schools after moving here from Michigan in 1972. During his first four years, he taught math and science at Dibrell Elementary, before becoming that school’s principal in 1976.
After 12 years at Dibrell’s helm, he made the move to the central office where he became the school system’s director of support services.
Missing daily contact with students, after three years at the central office Bonner was named assistant principal at Hickory Creek Elementary. Two years later he moved across the road to Warren County High School, again serving as an assistant principal, this time for three years.
Now finishing his sixth year at Bobby Ray, Bonner said he considers the school’s switch to a 45-15 calendar to be the “greatest, most positive” change he’s been a part of during his 31-year career.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes and trends over the years and I can say 45-15 has been the best. It’s exceeded every expectation I had for school improvement,” he said, adding he had considered retiring last year, but decided to stay on an additional year to make sure the alternative calendar got off to a good start.
Asked what he would miss most in his retirement, he said the kids, but quickly added he would surely miss his high quality co-workers as well.
“Over my career I’ve had the privilege to work with many wonderful, dedicated professional people, a luxury not always present in the real world,” he said.
Still young, Bonner said his possibilities for the future are endless. In the near future, anyway, he said he will focus on a couple of business interests, including his and his wife’s printing business, Palace Print Shop, and as an associate at Nashville car dealership Car Max.
And he’s not ruling out a return to the school system. He’s still certified to teach high school math, he said, and given the state’s shortage of math teachers, he may just come back one day.