Amy Irwin was announced as the new superintendent for the Barren Count School District during a special-called board of education meeting on June 4. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
It was with long-anticipated excitement that family, friends, school principals, district personnel and the five Barren County Board of Education members met at the district’s central office for the long-awaited announcement of the new superintendent.
The announcement was preceded by current Superintendent Bo Matthews’ retirement announcement in February 2024. That began the roughly five-month long search, which included a screening committee and outside guidance by the Kentucky School Board Association.
A hush fell over those in the glass-walled board room as Board Chairperson Shelly Groce called the meeting to order. With only one item on the special-called meeting the motion was quickly made, after Groce provided an overview of the process, to appoint and employ the new superintendent. Board member Mike Miller made the motion, which was seconded by member Joey Newberry.
It was announced that Amy Irwin, the current principal of Barren County High School, would be taking over for Matthews effective July 1.
“This was one of the toughest things I’ve done in my professional life,” Miller said. “From the day [Matthews] tendered his resignation I knew it was going to be hard to replace him and he has raised the bar at Barren County. I feel we were blessed with three really good candidates and that made it harder but, at the end of the day, we made a decision on someone I feel very, very comfortable with.”
Irwin graduated from Western Kentucky University with Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1995. Since that time she continued at WKU and earned her Master’s in counseling in 1997 — she also earned Rank I in counseling in 2004 — her Rank I in educational administration in 2018 and her superintendent’s certification in 2023. She also completed Harvard Graduate School Aspiring Leaders Training in 2017.
Irwin became Barren County High School principal in 2019, but before that served in a variety of district positions since 2001 including guidance counselor for Barren County Middle School and Barren County High School from 2001-2003, the first director of BAVEL in 2004, before returning as middle school guidance counselor in 2006, serving as the district’s College and Career Development Coordinator in 2015 and, in 2018, she began serving as principal at the BCHS Innovation Zone.
“Mrs. Irwin has a proven record of leadership and a deep commitment to the students and staff of Barren County Schools,” Groce said. “We know that she will continue to move the district forward with vision, passion, and a sincere desire to serve our entire BC community.”
Comments