As the Delta variant rises throughout the nation, Owensboro Public School Superintendent Dr. Matthew Constant said that the plan as of now is to welcome students back in person on Aug. 11 with a few measures from the previous year in place.
“[We] recommend masks to anyone that will feel safer wearing one. We highly recommend unvaccinated individuals wear masks and continue to encourage our families to get the vaccine as soon as they’re eligible to do so,” Constant said during Thursday’s Board of Education meeting.
Constant said they also plan to work with local healthcare providers for students 12 and under to receive the vaccine when that age is approved. Strategies from last year, like hand sanitizing availability and distancing, will remain in place.
According to Constant, the school system is almost fully staffed, even though this has been the “most challenging year” for recruiting staff.
In other business:
During a closed session, Constant was evaluated for his leadership throughout the last school year, and he received high ratings from his board members. Melissa Decker, board chair, said the total averaged score from the five members placed Constant at an overall score of 3.18 out of 5 points.
Constant was evaluated based on his leadership in seven different areas: strategic, instructional, cultural, human resource, managerial, collaborative and influential. Decker said in all categories, Constant scored overly accomplished.
“We think he has done an amazing job for normal times, much less considering the year of COVID, quarantine, and doom and gloom,” Decker said. “He’s been incredibly positive throughout all of this, he’s been right on the spot [since] when the governor told the superintendents they might go into quarantine.”
Decker said that in Constant’s year of leadership — including his brief time as Interim Superintendent — despite it being during COVID-19, he has been on the frontlines and thinking about the best decisions for the district since the initial call back at the beginning of the pandemic.
“Dr. Constant never hesitates to step up when a challenge arises; he promptly gathers a group to join him in brainstorming to find the best solutions, then, just as quickly, puts plans into action,” the evaluation sheet reads.
After the evaluation was completed, Constant thanked his team for their remarks and said he can’t wait for the start of his second year of school in 14 business days.
The school board also recognized three teachers for winning the Excellence in Teaching award from Campbellsville University — Susan Bratcher from Sutton Elementary School, Stephanie Luckett from Owensboro Middle School and Stephanie Gray from Owensboro High School.
