By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Former Thompson High School Assistant Principal Angela McKnight has only been in her new role as administrator of the Alabaster City Schools Alternative School and ACES program for a few weeks, but she has already had some new experiences.

“I’ve learned how to paint,” McKnight said with a laugh.

After moving from the THS assistant principal position to the Alternative School administrator position on July 1, McKnight quickly got to work bringing a new look to the facility, which is across the railroad tracks from the ACS central office off 11^th Avenue Southwest.

One of her first actions was working to secure a grant from Lowe’s to renovate the Alternative School building, which previously served as the Developing Alabama Youth Program headquarters before ACS was formed.

From July 18-20, Lowe’s volunteers worked in the Alternative School building to add new paint, doors, bathroom fixtures, blinds, picnic tables and a donated basketball goal. The project comes at no cost to ACS.

“It’s almost brand new on the inside,” McKnight said during a July 20 interview. “We wanted to make it aesthetically pleasing and build pride for the building among the students. If you have pride for something, you’re going to take care of it.”

McKnight served as an assistant principal at THS for 11 years, and applied for the Alternative School administrator position a few months ago. As the administrator, McKnight will be in charge of the ACS alternative school and ACES credit recovery program.

ACS Student Services Coordinator Dorann Tanner said McKnight was a solid fit for the job because of her focus on building relationships with students.

“We felt she would be great for the kids,” Tanner said. “She’s so great with building relationships with students, and that’s something those kids really need.”

McKnight said she is planning to work with the students at the Alternative School to help them overcome the hardships they are facing.

“I’ve always had a passion for at-risk students. I always tell them ‘Your situation doesn’t define you. You have made some bad choices, but that’s not who you are,’” McKnight said.

With the departure of McKnight and fellow THS Assistant Principal Taurus Felton, who recently took a job at Hoover High School, THS is working to fill two assistant principal positions before the semester begins, Tanner said.