A second Northern Kentucky superintendent has been permanently barred from renewing their certification to be a superintendent in Kentucky schools, according to a decision from the Education Professional Standards Board. On May 2, the board received notice that then-Newport Superintendent, Tony Watts, failed to report mandatory information about a Newport educator as required by law. […]
Tag: Tony Watts
Posted inEducation
Newport appoints interim superintendent
Newport Independent School District has appointed Matt Atkins as its interim superintendent. The Newport Board of Education appointed Atkins at its regular meeting on June 25. Atkins has served as principal of Newport Primary School since 2017 and graduated from Newport High School in 2000. He has worked in the district for 19 years. Atkins […]
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Newport Schools to pay superintendent $175K in exit agreement
Newport Superintendent Tony Watts’ duties with the district will end on June 30 after he and the board of education came to an agreement on his resignation. Watts resigned as superintendent on May 15 after an over two-hour closed session meeting with the school board. At a special meeting on June 4, after speaking in […]
Posted inNews
Newport superintendent, school board agree to part ways
Tony Watts will conclude his role as the superintendent of Newport Independent Schools at the end of this school year after he and the district’s Board of Education agreed to mutually part ways. The board members and Watts came to the agreement after over two hours of deliberation in closed session at a special meeting […]
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Newport teachers continue to address board of education about district conditions
Newport Independent School District teachers and staff continue to fill the room during board of education meetings. Since a Feb. 26 board of education meeting where the Newport Teachers Association called for a “no confidence” vote in Newport Superintendent Tony Watts, teachers have continued to attend meetings and ask questions. Three teachers spoke during the […]
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Before cutting staff, Newport Schools seeks updated budget review
Newport schools officials say they are seeking clarity on the district’s financial standing before making any tough decisions about potential staff cuts. The Newport Board of Education met in a work session on March 12 to discuss the district’s departments and staff within the departments. While board members say Newport Schools needs to reanalyze its […]
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Newport schools face intervention amid declining performance, test scores
Despite a five-year improvement goal set in 2020, Newport’s Education Task Force says too little has changed in the district. “Every year that we don’t improve our academics is another year that we let our children down, another year that they’re not college ready, another year that they’re not career ready,” said former education task […]
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Newport teacher union calls for superintendent’s removal as board approves job cuts
The Newport Teachers Association called for a “no confidence” vote in Newport Superintendent Tony Watts Wednesday. The association asked for the vote at the Feb. 26 board meeting, which shows dissatisfaction with the superintendent’s leadership and performance but has no official bearing on an administrator’s job. However, no board member motioned for a vote of […]
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Newport Independent School District faces $1.9 million deficit, board seeks solutions
Newport Independent School District is working to decrease its $1.9 million budget deficit before it is submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education, by cutting expenses and borrowing from the investment account.
Posted inNews
Newport Board of Education considers decreasing property tax rates; plans to fund projects, pay off debt
Written by Marlena Lang, WCPO The Newport Board of Education is considering a proposal that would decrease property tax rates for many residents. Newport school district’s current property tax rate is $9.64 per $1000 of assessed property value. This year, they are proposing to decrease rates again, between 79.8 and 88.4. However, this doesn’t mean […]