Pounders retiring from BHS

For the past 37 years, Steve Pounders has dedicated the majority of his time to making sure the students entrusted to his care were given the best education possible, but at the end of this month, Pounders will be leaving that responsibility in someone else’s hands as he officially begins his retirement.

Pounders, who is the current principal at Belgreen High School, said being an educator was a career he knew he would love and, looking back on the years he has spent teaching, coaching and leading his school, he said he wouldn’t have changed a thing.

“I finished high school at Phil Campbell and I had some really great teachers and coaches who led me into the education field,” Pounders said. “I saw what a difference they made and how dedicated they were and I wanted to become that kind of an educator.”

Pounders’ first teaching job was at Stevenson High School in Jackson County. He taught science there for six years, but when he had the opportunity to become a teacher at Belgreen High School, he knew he couldn’t pass that up.

“Franklin County is just home to me, so it was good to get back here,” he said. “Belgreen is a great school and I learned over time that the community is so close-knit and everyone there is dedicated to the students and the school. That dedication and community support makes Belgreen such a special place to work, and I’m glad to have been a part of that.”

For the next 24 years, Pounders served as a physical education teacher, occasionally teaching a science class or a health class. He also served as the school’s basketball and track coach and briefly coached both softball and baseball.

“Some of the greatest memories I will take away from my years of teaching and coaching are just those times that you can see the excitement on a student’s face after all their hard work has paid off, either with a victory in a sporting event or with a good test grade,” Pounders said. “Seeing their realization that they have achieved something great is such a special thing for a teacher or coach to witness.”

Pounders said he would also remember the success several of Belgreen’s sports teams enjoyed during his tenure as a coach.

“In my coaching career, we were able to make it to the state tournament in basketball six times and played in the finals in 1994,” he said. “We also had several students who won state titles in track in different events.”

Reaching those big achievements was a special accomplishment for Pounders, but he said one other experience would always stand out in his mind.

“Being able to coach all three of my children will remain one of the most precious memories I have from those years,” he said. “That’s just something you never forget.”

Pounders eventually moved from a teaching and coaching position to assistant principal. He served in that capacity for two years before he had the opportunity to become principal of BHS.

“I had always wanted to get into school administration, so when Mr. Britton decided to go to Mississippi, that opened the door for me to have that opportunity,” he said. “I wanted to lead the students in a positive way so they would have the skills to do well in their future.”

After serving as the school’s principal for five years, Pounders said he knew it was time to move on to the next chapter of his life.

“I have my real estate license and I’ve been involved with that for the past 25 to 30 years, so I figure I will get more involved with real estate now that I have the time,” he said. “Retirement will also give me more time to do some of the things I enjoy. My wife and I just got back from a trip to Alaska and Oregon, so hopefully we’ll have more time for things like that now.”

Pounders and his wife, Teresa, will be married for 39 years this August. They have three children: Brian Pounders, who teaches history and coaches basketball and football at Gardendale; Brad Pounders, a firefighter with Russellville Fire Department; and his wife, Angie; and Brittany Blackburn, who helps run a home daycare with her mom, and her husband, Stewart.

The Pounders also have five granddaughters, Sydney Vickery, Haley Vickery, Lily Blackburn, Leah Blackburn and Ellie Pounders.

“My wife and I love getting together for cookouts with our children and their families,” he said. “Our granddaughters are all just precious and I’ll be glad to have more time to spend with them.”

Pounders said he would miss seeing the students, teachers and staff of Belgreen High School on a daily basis, and he couldn’t have asked for a better place to spend the majority of his career.

“Franklin County is a good place to teach because, even with the state going through such tough financial times the last few years, our teachers have done the best job with what they have to make sure the students are successful,” he said. “I have been fortunate enough to work with some great people throughout the years and I will certainly miss seeing them each day.”