Brad Burgess selected as Principal for Shughart Middle School at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina

Kathy Downs, the Department of Defense Education Activity community superintendent for Fort Bragg and Cuba, is pleased to announce Brad Burgess as the new principal for Shughart Middle School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

“Mr. Burgess very successfully served as the acting principal of Shugart Middle School last school year. As he assumes the official leadership role of school principal, he will provide a high level of continuity in best educational practices for all SMS students,” said Downs. “He will continue to engage all stakeholders in the process of continuous school improvement, building on the collective knowledge, skills and abilities of all staff, students and community members.”

About Brad Burgess

Brad Burgess was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and grew up in the nearby town of Belmont. He attended Gardner-Webb University where he received a bachelor’s in math and science, a master’s in middle grades education, and an educational leadership certificate. He has been an educator and leader for 20 years.

Burgess spent 13 years working for public schools in North Carolina, including R-S Middle School in Rutherfordton; South Point High School in Belmont; Brown Summit Middle School in Browns Summit; and, Ledford Middle School in Thomasville. During this time, he taught sixth, seventh and eighth graders math and science. He also coached basketball and tennis, including serving as the head tennis coach at Wesleyan Christian Academy for a period.

Burgess joined DoDEA in 2013 at Faith Middle School at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he taught sixth grade math for three years. He also served as the soccer coach during that time. In 2016, he was promoted to assistant principal at Shughart Middle School where he has served until being named as the school’s new principal. He and his wife, Paige, and their four children currently reside in Sanford, North Carolina.