Apart from a brief stint with the Transportation Security Administration, Dr. Ron Anthony has dedicated his professional career to education, first as a teacher and then working his way into administration. For the past two years, Anthony (Homegrown Leaders ‘23) has been deputy superintendent of Person County Schools, a system with 12 schools and about 4,400 students.
As deputy superintendent, Anthony oversees a number of departments, including transportation, facilities, child nutrition, technologies, policies, and support staff.
Of the many challenges facing rural school districts, Anthony pointed to teacher shortages as one of the biggest. He experienced it firsthand as the principal at Benson Middle School in a small, rural area in southern Johnston County. While acknowledging that recruiting and retaining teachers is an issue statewide, it’s exacerbated in Person County, where they compete with better-paying counties, such as Orange and Durham, and even nearby Wake.
Funding is also a major issue for rural school districts, Anthony said. After participating in the Homegrown Leaders program, he’s more aware of the opportunities for alternative funding available to rural communities, such as state and federal grants and other strategies that can be used to manage budgets while still serving the needs of the students. He pointed to his school district’s decision to consolidate two elementary schools into one to save money and offset the loss of funds received during the COVID-19 pandemic as an example.
Anthony learned about the NC Rural Center’s Homegrown Leaders program through a colleague and decided to apply because he’s “always looking for ways to be a better leader and just get better every day.” Reflecting on his experience with the Homegrown Leaders program, he now has a stronger understanding of how local government agencies conduct business, how budgets are made, how to be a better communicator, and the impact that strong economic development can have on rural communities.
“A strong school system can attract companies” to bring or expand their business operations in the county,” he said. This can lead to a collaborative, even symbiotic, relationship with the larger community. Good schools help to spur economic development that grows the population and increases the tax base which in turn means more money to fund public education.
Since completing the Homegrown Leaders program, Anthony said he’s gotten more involved in the community. He now serves as a member of the Person County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and is chair of the Equity Advisory Council for the Central Carolina Regional Educational Service Alliance. He’s also been involved with local initiatives to bring more greenway space to Person County and regularly attends county commissioners’ meetings. Anthony’s biggest takeaway from the Homegrown Leaders program – his “30,000 foot view” – was the value of networking outside of the education community, which can lead to “powerful opportunities to learn and collaborate” with local leaders and an overall benefit to the community.