Young tapped to lead Scott Elementary School

Published 2:19 pm Wednesday, July 30, 2025

THOMASVILLE — After 27 years in the Thomasville City Schools System with Scott Elementary School, Carie Young has been named the new principal for the 2025/26 school year.

Young started her career at the age of 21 at Scott Elementary School, working as a para-pro. It was there that she found encouragement through her late co-worker, Maggie Boozer.

“She got me hired and helped me get my job,” Young said. “She believed in me and knew I would be a principal. I never saw that for myself, because I was starting out. She was my cheerleader behind the scenes.”

While Young is ecstatic to bring some familiarity to the administrative team, she will miss her time in instruction.

“My favorite thing about teaching was the instruction,” she said. “It’s the thing that even after retirement, I hope I can come back and do.”

However, Young said she knew it was time to take the next step, leading the Scottie Dogs.

Young was originally offered the position a few years back, but due to the unexpected death of her mother, she declined. Now, with her children’s approval and a fresh mindset, Young feels she is in the prime position in her life to sit at the helm of the school.

“I felt really at peace when they offered it to me on May 15th,” she said. “I’m nearing the end of my career, so it felt like the best career move, but I also wanted to do this for my staff.”

Scott Elementary has faced a lot of change over the last five years in terms of administration, both at the local level and district level.

“The only constant has been me,” Young admitted. “It was hard having people who didn’t know us and didn’t understand what we are about.”

The school has had three principals in five years, with Dr. Selena Dawson most recently leading the team.

Young has some experience under her belt, serving as Assistant Principal under the guidance of former Principals Nate Espy and Dawson.

“When Dr. Dawson left, I felt like she had coached me up enough that I felt compelled to take the job instead of us getting another new person,” Young said.

Since the announcement, Young has felt support from the staff and community, receiving calls from former colleagues and friends acknowledging how deserving she is of the position.

“This feels so right,” she said. “I know this was the right thing to do for the school and for myself.”

As she begins her new role, Young hopes to build on the longstanding legacy of Scott, while expanding community relationships to help build up the students.

“I believe in what we are trying to do here,” she said. “We’ve had three District Teachers of the Year, and I’m proud of that.”

These teachers have worked tirelessly to help promote literacy and increase reading levels, something Young is proud of and hopes to continue under her leadership.

“We are really pushing reading and letting students be a part of our morning announcements,” Young said.

Beyond the school’s current offerings, Young would like to see a drama or dance club offered, along with an agricultural partnership at the high school.

“Sometimes when kids leave elementary school, they are timid to join those things, so we want to do smaller things with them and build their confidence,” Young said.

Young concluded by sharing she is excited to see what she can do for the school with all the years she has spent assisting behind the scenes.

“I’m excited about the challenge and learning how to lead in this role,” she ended. “I want Scott to grow leaps and bounds.”