Pasco alternative school needs a new principal

When Adrian Anthony first arrived at the Pasco County school district in 2016, leaders introduced him as a rising star, snagged from the Pinellas County school district.

He started as an assistant principal at Sunlake High, and a couple of years later was promoted to principal of Hudson Elementary, assigned the task of saving the long-struggling school from possible closure. With that move, Anthony became only the third Black male school principal in district history.

His year at Hudson ended with the school’s closure, though, and his transfer to lead the Harry Schwettman Education Center, an alternative school. That happened in June.

Two months later, Anthony left the district. He’s now principal of Kathleen Elementary in Polk County.

He didn’t bother to inform superintendent Kurt Browning of the move.

“I just found out about it yesterday,” Browning said Tuesday. “He was a good assistant at Sunlake and then (principal) at Hudson. He seemed eager to go to Schwettman.”

The departure left the alternative school without a permanent principal. The position has not been advertised. Browning said he would be looking to fill the post, but until then, the assistant principal will run the school.

Some in the community had suggested that David LaRoche, whom Browning defeated in the Republican primary for superintendent, might have been well suited for that job. LaRoche, who was assigned to an assistant principal job at Mitchell High during the campaign, resigned from the district soon after losing the election.

The Mitchell job has been posted on the district website.

Anthony could not be reached for comment.