James Bracy was born in Flora, Mississippi on December 10,1944.He was the eldest child and the only son to his parents. His family moved to Flint, Michigan in 1949. Mr. Bracy was educated by the Flint Community Schools where he attended Clark and Walker Elementary, Whitter Jr. High and Southwestern High Schools. He then continued his education at Indiana State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree. Afterward, he went on to earn a Master of Arts Degree at Eastern Michigan University. Mr. Bracy then returned to his roots and  became employed by the Flint Community Schools as a Community School Director at Dewey, Shelby, and Pierce Elementary Schools.Eventually he became the Prinicipal at Coolidge Elementary where he would remain for 25 years. Mr. Bracy retired in 2010 after being with Flint Community Schools for 44 years. Other than his strong dedication to his work, Mr.Bracy was described as a lover of all sports, a caring person who loved children. His wife, Irene, describred him as an outgoing person who loved to make others laugh, and above all else he loved his family. 

I enjoyed the faculty and the teachers there. They made me feel welcome and they made it feel worthwhile.Especially Mr. Bracy, because without him I wouldn’t have been able to attend because technically it wasn’t my school district. -Zipporah Turner 

Never encountered a teacher that I didn’t like there, and the principal, definitely the principal, Mr. Bracy at the time.One time I got in trouble and Mr. Bracy let it slide saying “I know you're better that.” -Michele Cochran 

Mr.Bracy was super cool. - Lamar Rahamaad 

Being around Mr. Bracy and the teachers I learned to have respect and be kind to the next person. -John Patrick

Mr. Bracy was a wonderful principal and I was best friends with his daughter.Just hanging out in the principal's office, with Mr. Bracy. I realize that’s a special privilege, because most people go to the principal's office to get in trouble  and I remember that Mr., Bracy had a good relationship with my dad, and he was just a great principal.-Jamillah May

I most enjoyed working with Mr.Bracy and the teachers and kids.I loved the teachers and the parents, and Mr. Bracy he was just a great principal -Vera Crandall 

It was an enjoyment to work under Mr.Bracy. -Thelma Mull

We were a close staff and the principal (Mr. Bracy) he was very fair, and he expected the most professionalism out of each and every staff member and he was very supportive for the most part.Never regretting having to come to work, because I knew between Mr. Bracy and the staff there was a great supportive unit. I was always surrounded by people that I could talk to. I learned a lot from Mr. Bracy, he was also a former community school director, so we had that connection. When I went through the administrative training for the GISD, he was happy to be my mentor. -Steve Branoff

We had a wonderful Principal, James Bracy He was encouraging, he was happy, I really looked up to him as a mentor. He got along with the staff, students, the parents, the community. Fond memories at Coolidge are numerous. They include field trips, field days, class parties, 6th grade end of year assemblies, class projects,sportingevents,Staff Pay Day Friday breakfast, weekly library trips,read-a-thons, staff meetings, team meetings, being recognized as a top achieving school under the leadership of our principal for many years the late Mr. James Bracy. We also had many, many laughs and fun times.Totally Unforgettable!! -Sherra Davis 

The late great Mr. Bracy was awesome. - Sean Croudy

We were a school that had good teachers, and a great principal Mr. Bracy. He worked with the kids and he wanted to see the kids excel You could just tell that he loved those kids. He had the biggest impact on that school, and everyone loved him. He is missed. The staff got along very well. And Mr. Bracy was just a god principal, the best principal was the best principal ever. He had a very open-door policy and you could talk to him about anything. He was a great principal and great friend . -Sandra Bradley

 Mr. Bracey was an incredible principal and he loved his kids. - Samia Brown

Favorite Principal was Jim Bracy, he was wonderful to work for. Saw himself as someone who could help everyone do their best as opposed to telling everyone what to do. -Peggy Anderson 

It was very supportive. Mr. Bracy was a wonderful principal. We were a team and we worked together as a team. I learned so much, I learned from my teacher peers and I learned as I went along, and I learned from Mr. Bracy. He had such a big heart and he would always say “Close your door and do what you do best, and that’s teaching children.” The school would always be rated above and beyond and that was because of Mr. Bracy. He just cared and that made all the difference.When I think about all the years that I've been teaching, if I think of a time and a place that impacted me the most it would be Coolidge and I attribute that to Mr. Bracy. I'm a good teacher and it's because of Mr. Bracy.  He would always have kids in the office, and it wasn’t because they were in trouble it was just because they liked him, and he would give them jolly ranchers. It was a domino effect and it was because of him. I love my students and I care for them and it was because that’s what Mr. Bracy expected of me and everyone else who worked there.I love that you are putting something together to honor Coolidge School. It really was the BEST place to work! Mr. Bracy would be so proud to know this. He loved this school. -Mary Turney

Mr. Bracy was the principal, and he knew more about one of my students than I did. Information that couldn’t be found in her file. He just really cared about the kids and he was a wonderful principal to work with. -Linda McKinsey

There was excellent leadership under Mr.Bracy.Mr. Bracy knew all of the children by name and he treated the staff with respect. He showed us respect because he expected a lot from us. At the time, I didn’t know nothing about special ed, and he said “Ms. Lusane, I trust you. I’ll trust that you’ll do a good job.We had good days and bad days. And even the bad days were going to be good because we knew that Mr. Bracy had our backs.I didn’t enjoy when Mr. Bracy left. Even the children felt it, the students felt it. They were asking for him. -Joey Lusane

I remember waiting for school to start under the big pine tree that used to stand in front of the school.I lived right across the street at 713 Westcomb.  My dad planted the tree in the front yard as a sapling when I was 4 or 5.  I remember getting the chicken pox and missing field day and standing on the front porch watching Mrs. Coon's 1st grade class playing red rover.I remember the crossing guard who had a daughter named Star and being terrified of stepping on the old man's grass on the corner.I wrote sentences for "screaming in the bathroom" (while I did not in fact, scream in the bathroom) during Mrs. Coon's first grade Christmas party.Dentists came in and taught us how to brush and floss in the library and we watched a video with dancing toothpastes.Mrs. Parks taught us primary and secondary colors and we played at the water table.  I brought ants on a log as my class snack.  She was the best.In first grade it was the 1992 election and we were on TV for a mock election our class did.  I manned the election booth.After school my dad would take me to the park, but I wasn't allowed to play in the cement tubes because people peed in there.  If I remember people also peed under the pine tree out front.One time I found a fake nail on my lunch table and I thought it was a real fingernail and it haunts me to this day.I remember roller skating in the gym after school and taking tumbling lessons in the library.Also parachute day in gym class and duck duck goose.My mom was a witch in the Halloween haunted house they used to put on.I bought my mom a heart shaped box with a picture of a kitten on it that she still has from the Santa's Workshop they held there.

Coolidge was a very memorable time, I'm able to recall friends' names from back then.  My favorite teacher was Mrs. Reed, she was always smiling  and we would win candy for getting good scores on spelling tests. I remember the lunchroom tables slid into the walls, during lunch they would put half of the tables away and blare Michael Jackson and kids had the option to stay and dance or go to recess. Very positive. I enjoyed the friends I made at Coolidge. My fondest memory is probably having my first crush there. When Coolidge closed I felt as if it was a chapter of your life is closing, reminiscing.I think it’s [Cooolidge Park Apartments] a great idea. I like that it's to help people to get housing that the can afford. I like that they want to preserve. It's better than leaving it as is or tearing it down, that’s for sure.