At the end of the Barren County Schools Board of Education meeting on June 13 the board members gave outgoing Superintendent a present in honor of his last board meeting. Afterwards Matthews took off his necktie and flung it into the crowd. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
It was a warm and, somewhat, humid summer afternoon as the five Barren County Board of Education members –along with district department heads, outgoing Superintendent Bo Matthews and his wife, and incoming Superintendent Amy Irwin — took their seats in the glass-walled board room to conduct their June meeting. The board members discussed a wide variety of agenda items during their nearly two-hour-long meeting including construction and change orders, approval to amend the 2023-2024 school calendar and approval of various handbooks and policies.
The board meeting began with an observation by Matthews that this June meeting will be the last Board of Education meeting he will sit on as the district’s superintendent. Matthews announced his retirement in February 2024 and, after a lengthy search process, Barren County High School Principal Amy Irwin was announced to be taking his place as chief executive on July 1.
“This is my 201st board meeting serving as superintendent,” Matthews said. “I thank you all for letting me be a part [of this district].”
After that observation the board members turned their attention to the agenda, which spanned two pages. Included in the agenda was the first reading of “Board Policy 09.2242,” which asked the board members to either permit or prohibit the use of medical cannabis on school property. This agenda item was not on the agenda when the meeting perview was written but, as Assistant Superintendent Cortni Crews explained, was broken out from the other policy and procedure updates because it required the board’s action.
“I won’t call it controversial; I’ll call it new [but] boards of education, public entities, are having to work through, study and take a position,” Matthews said. “The Kentucky School Board Association submit recommended policies to Kentucky school boards for them to take a look at and adopt…and one of those tonight will be looked at individually and it’s going to be referring to whether to permit or prohibit the use of medical cannabis.”
Crews said she could not remember the last time the KSBA asked individual school boards to take action on a policy.
Specifically the policy refers only to students. Crews searched the other policies on file but could not find one that related to medical marijuana and district personnel. The policy requires “the board to enact a policy by Dec. 1, 2024” but does not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2025.
Board Member Brad High made the initial motion to prohibit medical marijuana use on school property. That motion was quickly seconded by Board Member Mike Miller, and it was unanimously approved. Crews said it would require a second reading before it became official which will likely be on the next meeting’s agenda.
With that settled for the time being the five board members voted to go into closed session for “preliminary discussions relating to the evaluation of the superintendent” as allowed by Kentucky Revised Statute 61.810 and 156.557.
According to the Kentucky Association of School Administrators effectiveness standards there are seven standards on which a superintendent can be evaluated — they can be evaluated on all seven or one; it is left up to the board’s discretion, Board Chair Shelly Groce said — and on this occasion they chose to evaluate Matthews against the “Cultural Leadership” standard. The preliminary review was positive.
“All of us are in complete argreement that Mr. Matthews has finished his tenure [here] with exemplary status,” Groce said.
The board also approved a 5 percent salary increase for both certified and classified staff. District Finance Director Joe Murley said last year the board approved a 4 percent increase.
“I just wanted to point out that the members of the board of education…have a track record of expressing their support to our employees by giving significant raises even during lean times,” Matthews said. “I don’t think you can find another district that has outpaced giving to its employees moreso than Barren County’s Board of Education.”
They also officially approved Irwin’s four-year contract as superintendent.
After all the business was taken care of the board members gifted Matthews a circular piece of engraved wood that read ” Never Forget The Difference You’ve Made. Matthews. Retired 2024.” After Matthews took off his tie and threw it behind his back like a bride throwing the wedding bouquet.
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