Brilliant Elementary School is located in Brilliant, Alabama on Highway 129. Brilliant is located in the southeastern corner of Marion County, Alabama. Marion County is In the northwest section of Alabama.

The first school building in Brilliant was built by Brilliant Coal Company around 1900. The school was largely supported by the company. It was located on the north side of the road that goes down the hill from the present High School campus. It was about 150 yards north of the Brilliant Coal Commissary building. It originally housed grades 1-12. The Masonic Lodge and some of the first churches used it also.

The next building was built in about 1923 on the current site of the Brilliant High School Campus also. The grades taught ware gradually expanded until 1931 when the first seniors graduated, in the late 1920's there were some additional classrooms built. In the fall of 1938 the second building burned. When it was rebuilt, the school divided into Elementary and High Schools. At this time the original building was built on the site of the present Elementary School Campus.

Today, the Elementary School campus covers an area of approximately twelve acres. The present school building was completed in 1971 and houses fourteen classrooms, office space for the principal, cafeteria, and library. A new computer lab and gymnasium was opened this year (2005), and is located a few yards away from the present building.

There are approximately 230 students who attend Brilliant Elementary School in grades K-6. Grades K-3 are self-contained classes. Grade 4-6 is semi-departmentalized. Brilliant Elementary School has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools for over  twenty-five years and was one of the first elementary schools accredited in Marion County.  BES is currently an Alabama Math, Science & Technology Initiative School and will be an ARI – Alabama Reading Initiative School after the training this summer.