The Covington Board of Education says it's preparing to launch the first phase of its superintendent search process and is seeking diverse perspectives from families in the school district and others in the community.
The school district is inviting people to complete a survey on what skills and qualities they want to see in the next superintendent, and will host two in-person community input sessions for people to weigh in. The first session on Monday, Oct. 27, will be at Latonia Elementary, and the second on Oct. 28 will be held at The Center for Great Neighborhoods on 12th Street in Covington. Both sessions are from 6-8 p.m.
Additionally, in-person focus groups with students, families, staff, and other community members will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
The focus groups and community events will be managed by Alma Advisory Group, a firm hired by the district earlier this year to assist with the search.
The reason for the search
The Covington School Board announced its intention to hire a new superintendent in June, unanimously passing a resolution that stated, in part, the Board does not intend to reappoint the current superintendent, Alvin Garrison, and will begin the search for his replacement.
Garrison and the Board did not comment on the matter when the resolution was passed; instead, they chose to release written statements later.
In an op-ed signed by all five members of the school Board published in the Northern Kentucky Tribune in September, members stated they want a leader to take on the status quo, who doesn't shrink from accountability, and will work with the broader community.
In a statement originally shared with LINKnky, Garrison, who has been Covington's superintendent since 2013, wrote that he was grateful for the unwavering support from each school Board for his first nine years, but said the last three years have posed significant challenges. He later went on to quote Bible verses, which he says relate to the situation.
One of those verses, 1 Corinthians 4:5, reads, "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart."
Covington School Board President Tom Haggard says the goal is to have the job posted before Thanksgiving, interview candidates around the start of the new year, and name a new superintendent by March 2026.
Garrison's contract is set to expire summer 2026.
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