Randolph Elementary: Heart of Alabama

0:00On March 6th, here is the latest out of Birmingham. In the small town of Randolph, Alabama, Randolph Elementary School stands as the true center of community life. It educates 240 students from four-year-olds through sixth grade. Principal Holly Tillery has dedicated 21 and a half years to the school, knowing every student by name. The town keeps it simple, with no stoplights, a post office, and a dollar general that locals consider a highlight. A gas station and grocery clothes years ago, leaving the school as the main gathering spot for everyone. Tillery grew up right there, walking the same halls as a kindergartener, while her mother-taught for 25 years. She once dreamed of big city lights, but stayed to build strong connections, greeting each child eight times every morning before class. Back in 1972, the wooden school building burned down. Yet classes kept going across the street in the Baptist Church. That spirit highlights how the school endures as more than just walls. Today, locals pour in support through volunteers,

1:02donations of clothes and supplies, and shared spaces like playgrounds and ball fields. Staff and families hold firm to the idea that this rural spot shapes futures and changes lives for the better. The Daily News Now is presented by our sponsor. A pillow that plays your sound quietly, comfortably, effortlessly, built for nighttime listening, S-O-L-L-I, solelypillow.com.