By By LYDIA GRIMES – Features writer
Last week, the Escambia County Board of Education accepted the retirement resignation of Neal Middle School principal Gayle Fountain.
Fountain will end 32 years in education when she retires at the end of January of 2006.
She has been a principal for the last nine years and was an assistant principal for two years prior. The remainder of the time she taught in the county system.
Fountain was born in Conecuh County and graduated from Conecuh County High School. Her father was also in the education field as both a coach and teacher. She always wanted to become a teacher too, but she became a wife and mother instead. But the dream never left her and when Jefferson Davis was a new junior college, she decided to make that dream come true.
She attended the college and then went on to the University of West Florida to earn her bachelor's degree in elementary education. Later she received her master's and education specialist degree from what was Livingston University. She then received her administration degree from Auburn University at Montgomery.
Fountain is married to Hugh Fountain and they have five children, Kim Smith, Kay Herrington, Hugh Fountain, Scott Fountain and Jason Fountain. Three of the children have decided to carry on the family tradition and have gone into education also. Hugh is a coach at Charles Henderson High School in Pike County, Scott is a college coach and Jason works for Florida State University. The Fountains have 11 grandchildren and are active members of First Presbyterian Church of Brewton.