Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Brake Ending Leadership of Owensboro Schools Dec. 31

Owensboro Public Schools

The superintendent of Owensboro Public Schools is stepping down at the end of this month, with an interim superintendent taking over at the start of the new year. 

Superintendent Nick Brake has led Owensboro Public Schools since 2013. He announced in June he would leave the position at the end of this calendar year. 

The school board has named district Chief Academic Officer Matthew Constant as interim superintendent beginning Jan. 1, 2020.

Constant said he is humbled and appreciative that the board has the confidence in him to lead the district during the search for a permanent superintendent.

“Dr. Brake is leaving us in such a good, good place in our district," Constant said. "He’s done a whole lot of things to advance us forward, and I think the interim’s job is to keep that forward momentum without infusing too much change.”

Constant said one of the major projects in-progress is construction of the combined Innovation Academy for high school students and Owensboro Innovation Middle School. Both of those schools were created during Brake’s tenure, but have been housed at different locations.

Owensboro Innovation Academy launched in August 2015, and Owensoboro Innovation Middle School accepted its first students in August 2019. With the renovated facility expected to be complete by the fall semester 2020, the innovation programs for grades 6-12 will be housed on the same campus. 

Constant said Owensboro is a diverse district and he will continue lead efforts to advocate for the most vulnerable students.

Those students especially that are special education, English Language Learners, African-Americans, free and reduced lunch populations. We will be advocating and fighting for those students, so they can hopefully get on a more equal playing field with everyone else.”

Constant said he will also continue the ongoing efforts to advocate for gifted students by creating opportunities in career-tech courses and other advanced career pathways.

He said there's another major effort on the schedule for the coming months.

"We'll be working with the legistors in this upcoming session on public school education funding, to try to get as many resources as possible for our students," said Constant.

The Owensboro Board of Education has approved a contract with the Kentucky School Boards Association to begin the search for a new superintendent. 

Related Content