- The Covington Board of Education has approved a contract with Chicago-based firm Alma Advisory Group to guide a search for a new superintendent
- The new superintendent will assume the role from Alvin Garrison, who has been with the district for 12 years, after his contract expires
- The board plans to host community engagement events to inform the search and hire someone by March
The Covington Independent Public Schools Board of Education will work with Chicago-based consulting firm Alma Advisory Group to find a new superintendent.
The board members unanimously voted to approve a contract with the firm at their meeting on Sept. 11.
“One of the most important decisions that we’re going to make as a board is who is going to be our next leader,” Board President Tom Haggard said at the meeting.
The district announced that it would not renew current Superintendent Alvin Garrison’s contract in June. Garrison has been with the district for 12 years and is the longest-serving Black superintendent in the state of Kentucky.
Superintendents serve as the professional administrative heads of school districts and report to the elected members of the board of education. Although they lack the voting power of the board members, they are responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of the district.
The relationship between the board members and the district’s administration was at times strained, with disagreements arising over communication, money and district facilities.
In spite of this, one Board Member, Michelle Williams, emphasized how “it was great that we all came together” to find a firm to aid in the search.
Garrison did not comment on the contract approval on Thursday, although he did attend the meeting and spoke on other agenda items. However, Garrison wrote a letter earlier this summer, which you can read here, where he reflected on his time as superintendent.
“I have had a fulfilling tenure as a superintendent,” Garrison begins his statement. “I am grateful for the unwavering support from the boards during my first nine years in this role. The past three years have posed significant challenges, but I remain committed to prioritizing the best interests of our students, families, faculty, staff and community in my final year.”
Alma Advisory Group was one of seven firms that submitted proposals for the consultancy, according to a press release from the board of education. The board interviewed five firms before ultimately selecting Alma, a minority woman-owned firm that has assisted in executive searches in several states.
“We’re confident that Alma will help us attract and select a transformational leader — someone who shares our vision for excellence and who will champion the students, staff and families of Covington,” Haggard said in the press release.
The board plans to employ several methods to keep the community involved in the search, such as town halls, online surveys and focus groups. They hope to release a more detailed plan of these community engagement efforts by the end of September.
“We are honored to partner with the Board of Covington Independent Public Schools in this critical endeavor,” Alma’s CEO Monica Santana Rosen said in the same release. “It is clear to us that the Board is centering community voice to guide their efforts every step of the way. We are looking forward to getting started!”
Haggard indicated that the board would like to post the job opening before Thanksgiving, begin interviewing early in 2026, and make the final hire by March. Garrison will serve out the remainder of the school year in the position, and the new superintendent will assume the role upon the conclusion of the academic year.