Brownstown superintendent submits resignation; board to vote Monday night

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BROWNSTOWN

After 14 years with Brownstown Central Community School Corp., Greg Walker has submitted his resignation.

The 47-year-old was the assistant principal at the high school and principal at the middle school before moving up to superintendent in 2014.

He turned in his resignation Tuesday and said his first day as superintendent of Paoli Community School Corp. is Oct. 1.

“I’ll just say I’ve had some philosophical differences with a few (school) board members,” Walker said of his reason for leaving Brownstown.

“I’ve always admired Paoli school system, and I was approached, so I threw my name in the hat, and I just feel like God is opening a door for me, and I better take a look,” he said.

The board of trustees will have a special meeting at 8 p.m. Monday in the superintendent’s office, 608 W. Commerce St., Brownstown, to vote on Walker’s resignation. That meeting is open to the public and press.

Mary Ann Spray, president of the seven-member appointed school board, said she wishes Walker and his family the best.

“We want him to succeed at Paoli and be able to build his career there and move forward,” Spray said Thursday morning. “Everybody deserves that opportunity at any point in their lives. We want to be able to afford that to Greg if that’s his choice.”

Walker, a Greensburg, Kentucky, native, spent his first 11 years of education teaching in Bedford and then started working at Brownstown in 2004. He was the high school assistant principal from 2004 to 2011 and middle school principal from 2011 to 2014.

Jim Terrell announced his retirement in the spring of 2014, and Walker applied for the superintendent position and was interviewed and hired in May of that year.

During his tenure, Walker said a highlight is the corporation doing $12.5 million worth of building projects at all three schools.

Safety, including redoing entrances where visitors have to go directly into the offices, was a big improvement, and interactive whiteboards and Chromebook access in classrooms were among the technology improvements.

New heating, ventilation and air conditioning units; air conditioning in both gymnasiums; a new grandstand, turf field and track; a new tennis court surface; and LED lighting and renovations in classrooms all have been accomplished in recent years at the high school.

Plus, academically, all three schools have received A accountability grades.

“The high school here continues to function at a high level,” Walker said. “They consistently get an A grade.”

Other highlights for the high school have been starting an iGrad program in 2016-17 and establishing an alternative school this year.

Getting a robotics program going at the middle school and adding On My Way Pre-K at the elementary school are among the recent accomplishments at those buildings.

“Just a lot of good things going on here at Brownstown, and whoever takes over (as superintendent) will have a pretty good ship here,” Walker said.

Moving on to Paoli, Walker said the corporation has had some challenges in recent years. Gerald Jackson was named interim superintendent in July 2017 following the resignation of the previous leader. He came out of retirement from West Washington School Corp. to fill that role.

“He’s a really good guy and done a lot of good things in the last year to get them back on sort of financial solid ground,” Walker said. “I’m just looking forward to moving forward with that.”

Walker said the Paoli school board is anxious to get a new superintendent in place.

“The board has already shared some of their goals, things they are looking for, and I’m looking forward to rolling my sleeves up and getting to work,” he said.

“Their school grades are all C grades. That’s important for them to get those up, so I’ll have to roll my sleeves up and get in with the principals and look at data — I’m a data guy anyway — and see what areas they are lacking in, and we can drill down on the standards and focus on those and try to get that school grade up.”

Walker said he and his family plan to still live in Medora.

“I’ve enjoyed my 14 years here at Brownstown,” he said. “The community really accepted me, and it almost felt as if I was from here originally. … I developed a lot of positive friendships and relationships and really appreciate the support of the community. Great kids and families here, and I really appreciate them and all of their support and look forward to be able to continue some of those friendships.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

What: Brownstown Central Community School Corp. board of trustees special meeting

When: 8 p.m. Monday

Where: Superintendent’s office, 608 W. Commerce St., Brownstown

Who: Open to the public and press

Agenda: The purpose of the meeting is to discuss personnel and other business. At 7 p.m., there will be an executive session, closed to the public and press, to receive information about prospective employees and discuss individuals over whom the governing body has jurisdiction.

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