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Mr. Ben Bruni announced as 2017 RJSHS Principal, 6/7/17
Mr. Ben BruniOn Wednesday, June 7, 2017, in the Russellville Junior/Senior High School lobby before an interested crowd, the 2017 Principal was announced.  Superintendent, Mr. Leon Smith, welcomed the guests and thanked all for joining togetherMr. Smith then introduced Dr. Steve Moats, Chief Academic Officer, and gave him the floor.  Dr. Moats chaired the SBDM Council in the search for a new principal and shared the council worked diligently to find the perfect match for the position.  They met frequently and invited soon-to-be superintendent Flener to join in the process.  Dr. Moats stated we took this responsibility very seriously, and the survey we sent out in the spring was extremely instrumental and pivotal in helping determine who was best suited for the job.  He stated he feels we have found exactly what the teachers, students, and community wanted for their next principal.  Then, Mr. Bart Flener, successor to Superintendent, Leon Smith, effective 7/1/17, along with the assistance of Corey Waters, SBDM Council Teacher Representative, announced that that Mr. Ben Bruni has accepted the position of Principal at Russellville Junior/Senior High School.   Mr. Bruni has nearly 14 years of public school experience as an English teacher, head-coach, director of a district-level program, and assistant principal most recently at Adairville Elementary in Logan County.  Mr. Bruni has worked in a diverse range of schools including a rural high school, a suburban high school, an urban Alternative-Placement middle and high school, and a rural P-8 school.  At each of these stops he has gained valuable experience regarding how to communicate, mediate, implement, and sustain professional initiatives within the school setting.  Mr. Bruni believes strongly in the balance between cultural and academic development, and he brings an optimistic and practical approach to educating students as well as improving the instructional and assessment practices of the faculty and staff.   He will be following the footsteps of Mrs. Kim McDaniel, who has served so well as Principal at RJSHS for the past five years.  She has accepted a position as Director of Pupil Personnel at the Russellville Board of Education, and will begin 7/1/17.   Mr. Bruni, stated he was grateful that Mrs. McDaniel will still be so close in the area to gain insight from her expertise.  He also stated he is thankful to have this opportunity and looks forward to serving Russellville Junior/Senior High School, the students, and parents.   He expressed his thanks to the Site Based Council, Mr. Smith, Mr. Flener, and Mrs. McDaniel.  Mr. Bruni said, “When I was asked why I applied for this position at Russellville, I said it was because of tradition and community pride.  Tradition must be earned.  Russellville has decades of success.   People a long time before me built that up and I am humbled by that.”  Mr. Bruni has a background in athletics, most notable football.  He was voted as 2012 Kentucky High School Coach of the Year. He has coached football for Warren East and the Todd County School System. He shared although he has an athletics background, he believes in all the sports, the arts, band, chorus, and academics.  His desire is for everyone to succeed and to be number one.  He said, “We are going to win at whatever we do, whether it’s taking a test or competing in sports.”  Welcome, Mr. Bruni, to Panther Nation!