By Duncan Dent, Madison County Journal
MADISON – A Greenville native and the current assistant principal at St. Patrick Catholic Middle School on the coast will be the next principal at St. Joseph Catholic High School here.

Trey Bailey will start as principal of St. Joseph on July 1, Joni House, Director of Schools for the Diocese of Jackson, said.

Father Joe Tonos said he and Father Albeen Vatti, administrators at the school, were happy to accept Bailey’s nomination for the position from the School Advisory Committee.

“We welcome Mr. Bailey to the Bruin Family and back home to the Diocese of Jackson,” Tonos said.
Bailey said he looks forward to joining the long legacy of St. Joseph Catholic School.

“I am looking forward to joining a faithful community in carrying on the excellent tradition of Catholic education in the Jackson Metro area at St. Joseph, one that has been carried on for over 155 years,” Bailey said.

He currently serves as the assistant principal over the Middle School at St. Patrick in Biloxi and is also head coach for men’s football and athletic director for the high school.

Bailey will finish the school year on the Coast. He will work with interim principal Dr. John Jordan while making the transition to Madison this summer.

Bailey said it will be his goal as principal of St. Joe to prepare each student for all aspects of life.

“While we will strive to accomplish a wide array of goals, our primary focus will be on developing the student spiritually, emotionally, academically, and physically in order to leave St. Joseph and go into the world and carry out the Great Commission,” Bailey said.

Bailey is a native of Greenville and a graduate of the city’s Catholic schools. He has a BA in History from Millsaps College, an MA in Educational Leadership, and a designation as an Education Specialist in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University.

He has taught special education, world history, physical education and Mississippi studies in Bolton, Raymond and Richland.

(Reprinted with permission of Madison County Journal.)