At an Owensboro Public School Board meeting Thursday, Superintendent Nick Brake announced he is leaving Owensboro Public Schools. Dr. Matthew Constant, current chief academic officer, will serve as interim superintendent effective Jan. 1, 2020.
Brake sent the following letter to OPS staff after Thursday’s board meeting:
Owensboro Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Nick Brake announced today that he will be leaving the district at the end of December after six-and-a-half years at the helm.
The Owensboro Board of Education plans to name current Chief Academic Officer Dr. Matthew Constant as the interim superintendent effective January 1, 2020, to serve for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year while a search for a permanent replacement for Brake is conducted.
“I have accomplished much of what I set out to accomplish during my time at OPS,” said Brake. “The district has very capable leadership at all levels and a great board of education. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and tenure as superintendent and I would not want to hold that position in any other district. The time is just right for me to explore new challenges in the future. The timing will help in the transition process and set up the person who follows me for success.”
Brake intends to remain in Owensboro and continue public service in some way.
“I have been a public servant my entire career,” said Brake. “This role has been very rewarding and fulfilling. I am leaving the superintendency but I do not plan to quit working. I have more to contribute and more to do with my professional service.”
Brake has served as the superintendent of Owensboro Public Schools since July 2013. Under his leadership, the district has seen consistent enrollment growth, going above the 5,000 student mark for the first time since the early 1980s.
Owensboro Public Schools also became a nationally recognized Top-25 District of Innovation during Brake’s tenure thanks to the creation of two innovation-based schools – the Owensboro Innovation Academy, which graduated its first class this year, and Innovation Middle, which will open this fall.
Several new innovative programs were also implemented during Brake’s tenure, including the Early College Academy. The Early College Academy enables high school students to earn an associate degree and a high school diploma simultaneously. This program spread from OPS to all local high schools and saw 40 students earn degrees from OCTC this year.
“Each of the school board members thinks Dr. Brake has done a phenomenal job and we hate to see him go,” said Owensboro Public Schools Board Chairman Jeremy Edge. “If you look at what he’s done in the last few years financially, our balance is up and our tax rate has gone down. In addition to that, test scores and college acceptances are up. The work he has done is incredible and he has made a huge difference in our district. The next person will have some big shoes to fill.”
Brake will remain superintendent through December 31, 2019, and current Chief Academic Officer Matthew Constant will assume the role of interim superintendent effective January 1, 2020, pending a vote by the board of education on his interim contract. The decision to remain through the first half of the school year will allow Brake and Constant to work toward a smooth transition while maintaining the district’s goals for the upcoming school year, including the opening of Innovation Middle.
“I am both humbled and blessed by the opportunities the Owensboro Public Schools has afforded me,” said Constant. “I feel a deep sense of mission and purpose for our kids and intend to continue our groundbreaking initiatives as we advocate for our students. I am honored to facilitate as interim superintendent as the Board does its important work in identifying a permanent leader for our district.”
Constant joined Owensboro Public Schools in 2011 and has served as an assistant superintendent and Chief Academic Officer. In his role, he was responsible for the coordination of all curriculum, instruction, assessment, special education, technology and English language learning. He will be entering his 25t h year in public education previously serving as a technology education teacher at Apollo High School, a staff developer for both high schools in the Daviess County Public Schools and served as assistant principal and principal of Daviess County High School. He also spent time as the district technology coordinator for DCPS prior to joining OPS.
“Matthew has been a strong leader in our system and the teachers and staff trust and knows him,” said Edge. “It makes a difference to have someone who can keep us going in the right direction until we decide on a permanent replacement.”
Constant has overseen instruction across the district since 2011 and with the help of Brake, the district has added 21 teachers since 2013 while cutting costs and saving taxpayer dollars. With the addition of approximately 350 students through enrollment growth, overall district staffing grew by only seven positions. Administrative positions and non-instructional positions were trimmed to allow a greater focus on the district’s core mission of teaching and learning.
“My goal was to leave OPS a better place than I found it,” said Brake. “That was challenging because our district was already in a very good place in 2013 when I arrived. Overall, I feel like the district is better off now and the time has come for me to make room for new leadership. We have more money in the bank, we have added some great opportunities for students and we have a strong strategic focus for the future. This is a good transition point for my successor to be well-positioned to take the district to new levels.”
The search for Brake’s permanent replacement will begin in the winter of 2020.
