Freedom, Braden River elementary schools to have new principals

Two East County schools will have new principals in the 2024-2025 school year.

Freedom Elementary School Principal Guy Grimes is leaving the school to become the principal at Johnson K-8 School. 

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Grimes will replace Johnson School Principal Anthony Losada, who is retiring.

Grimes has served as a principal in Manatee County for 16 years and has been serving as principal at Freedom Elementary since 2016. He also served as principal at Prine Elementary from 2008 to 2016.

Before becoming a principal, Grimes was an assistant principal from 2007 to 2008 at Prine Elementary and an assistant principal from 2002 to 2007 from Palm View Elementary. 

Braden River Elementary School Principal Joshua Bennett is leaving the school to become the director of exceptional student education. 

Bennett started his education career as an exceptional student education teacher in 1999 and continued to be an ESE teacher through 2006. 

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He became principal at Braden River Elementary School in 2019 after serving as the principal at William H. Bashaw Elementary from 2010 to 2019. 

Before become a principal, Bennett served as an assistant principal at Bayshore Elementary from 2009 to 2010 and Kinnan Elementary from 2006 to 2009. 

The new positions will take effect on July 1. The new principals for Freedom and Braden River elementary schools have yet to be named.