For 22 years, since he first left college, principal Jason Hay has worked for Bryant: as a 9th grade algebra teacher, assistant and head football coach, head tennis coach, head soccer coach and for the last 11 years has been an administrator in the school district, working for the last five years as the Bryant Junior High. Now, with Dr. Edwards retiring,  Hay will be coming up to work as the principal at Bryant High School.

“Coaching and running a team is really just like running the school,”  Hay said. “Trying to keep everybody organized, get a schedule, make sure everybody’s communicating well, and knowing what’s what the others are doing. Being able to handle people and create a family and team atmosphere. It’s just on a much bigger scale.”

 Hay got his job at Bryant after volunteering to speak to some students about student teaching, something he originally didn’t want to do.

“I’d already graduated, and I almost didn’t go,”  Hay said. “I got up late, got there quickly. And I was the only one that showed up. And as I was leaving, Ken Vaughn [Bryant administrator and UCA advisor]  ran down the hallway and grabbed me and asked me if I had a job, and I said ‘no’. He called Delton Kitchell, who was the principal, and I had a job the next day.”

What motivated  Hay in both education and administration was the duty he felt towards the past educators in his life, with his mom, dad, uncle and aunt all being educators and coaches.

“I was raised by educators,”  Hay said. “I grew up with just my mom, and I saw her work her butt off for kids and teachers. At the time I didn’t get it, but I think that’s just something that you’re born to do or called to do, and I feel like being able to give back, to pay forward what my coaches and teachers who believed in me and took care of me through all those years.” 

 Hay’s favorite aspect of being principal is the people he gets to interact with.

“The job is really hard,”  Hay said. “It’s hard to be a teacher, an educator, and if you don’t like the people and the kids, then it’s not going to be any fun, so I think just being around all students, our faculty, staff, parents; it’s just a good family atmosphere.”

In preparation for the new job position,  Hay has been coming up to the high school to learn how the job will work, from different activities at the school like prom and graduation, but also how to run the school from the  administrative side.

“Dr. Edwards has done us a favor by retiring early and letting us know,”  Hay said. “He’s really enabling me to get a chance to come up here, learn from him, and see how things operate without having just come up on day one to figure that out.” 

Although having switched principal positions before, most recently leaving Bryant Middle to go to Bryant Junior High, the switch is still sometimes difficult.

“The most difficult thing is always leaving a building full of people who are very loyal, and who really do a great job and have really supported and taken care of me,”  Hay said. “We opened that building [the Junior High], and so everybody that’s been there has put an extraordinary amount of work into having to build a brand new school from scratch.”

Another difficult aspect has been  Hay’s duties at both the high school and the junior high.

“It’s hard to be good at two different places,”  Hay said. “I feel like I need to be here more than I can be, and I need to be at the junior high more than I can be. But, that’s just part of the process and we’ll get through it.”

Despite the difficulties,  Hay is excited to see students he has had in the past.

“I’m looking forward just to seeing those kids that I’ve gotten to watch grow up, and have good relationships with their parents,”  Hay said. “It’s really like seeing a small family. And of course, the people, Dr. Edwards has done a good job of assembling a great group of teachers. And so it’s always a good deal to get to work with great people.”

Hay is also excited to spend his son’s senior year with him.

“To get to spend another year with him, he may not like it, but I’m looking forward to getting the chance to hand him his diploma,”  Hay said.

Although plans for the 2024-2025 school year aren’t set in stone,  Hay is ready for the school to grow. 

“The biggest plan is to just continue on what we’re doing and make it better,”  Hay said.  “Every year, you always work on taking things to the next level. I know things are really good here, and so I don’t want to come and mess it up. I just want to come in and put my spin on it.”

One aspect decided on is Archie, the therapy dog. Archie, who  Hay bought with the goal of having a trained therapy dog, will come up to the high school once a week while also continuing to work with students at the junior high once a staff member is properly trained. 

“[Archie] brings happiness and smiles to any age of kids,” Hay said. “You can’t help but be in a better mood when you get time to interact and pet Archie.”

Overall, Hay believes his position as principal is to help the students succeed.

“Every teacher and staff member in this building [job] is to make Bryant High School into the premier high school in the state of Arkansas,” Hay said. “Our kids deserve the best and we need to give it to them.”

Hay views the high school as a culmination of everything the city has done to help a child succeed.

“The high school is the pinnacle of everybody’s education and it’s a culmination of all the hundreds of people it took to get everybody to the high school to graduate,” Hay said. “That gives me an appreciation for every step, because I see how much you our town and community has put into every kid here. And I think that’s a big deal. And if it’s ever not a big deal to me, I probably don’t need to be here.”

Dr. Laura Fee will be taking over Hay’s position at the Junior High starting July 1, 2024.