We all know his booming voice and his calm, patient demeanor. Assistant Principal Jim Raines has been at FHS for almost 30 years, and his family has created a legacy in the Fauquier County school district.
Raines grew up in Arlington, Virginia, where he attended Washington Lee High School. He played football and wrestled, his favorite sport because of the individual competition. Raines began wrestling in seventh grade and pursued it until college.
“It’s a pretty important part of my life,” Raines said. “I know what it can do to prepare you for the tough things you face. It’s just you and the other guy. There’s no one else to rely on or blame; it teaches self-control and discipline.”
Raines met his wife, Kim, when he was 11 years old in junior high, but they did not actually start dating until college.
“We shared a locker,” Raines said. “We never dated; we were just good friends.”
Raines went to West Liberty State College; his plan was was to be a P.E. teacher, but his father persuaded him to go in to business.
“The idea of owning a business intrigued me,” Raines said. “That’s where my dad said I needed to be; he said there were too many P.E. teachers.”
In 1983 Raines married Kim, and she began teaching at FHS a year later. Kim Raines is currently a math teacher at Mountain Vista Governor’s School.
“We can talk about common things,” Kim Raines said. “We have a common language.”
Raines began coaching wrestling at FHS and was later recruited to teach business both at FHS and Liberty High Schools, which he did for 18 years.
“I don’t regret any minute of it,” Raines said. “As a teacher you have the same kids every day, and you hope you can have an influence on them.”
Raines has had three children graduate from FHS, including daughter Kaitlin, who currently works at Cedar Lee Middle School. Jill lives in North Carolina where her husband is stationed at Fort Bragg. His oldest son, Jacob, attends Shepherd University, and Raines’s youngest child, Jimmy, is currently a junior at FHS.
“He’s always here. He always knows what happens; it’s harder to get away with stuff,” Jimmy said. “But if I ever need money or anything I can just go get it.”
Raines enjoys going to school activities, especially the athletic events. He tries to get to a concert and a play at least once a year. He and his family have always been very active in their church, Warrenton Baptist, and have traveled to many states including Alaska, Alabama, and Georgia. He has also been to Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Israel on over 20 mission trips.
“One time I went to Savannah, Georgia, and I had three or four of my students there,” Raines said. “So that was pretty cool. You get to see them in a whole different setting and with a different relationship and atmosphere.”
Raines decided to apply to be an assistant principal 11 years ago.
“I like having the freedom to go into classrooms and watch students interact with each other and teachers,” Raines said. “I don’t like discipline. Suspending someone is my least favorite part of the job; I wish there was another meaningful way [to discipline students].”
Raines plans to be at FHS for a while and hopes to be a principal some day.
“He loves students,” Kim Raines said. “He thrives on who they are and trying to make them who they could be.”
Raines is passionate about helping kids plan for their future.
“Any positive influence I can be,” Raines said, “that’s what I want to do.”