New Garrard County Superintendent Kevin Stull is pictured in a classroom talking to teachers on a videoconference call.

New Garrard County Superintendent Kevin Stull, right, said he hopes to bring his experiences working for the Kentucky Department of Education into his new role. He said he wants to be an innovative leader for his students and staff.
Submitted photo

Editor’s Note: This is the 12th of a series of stories Kentucky Teacher is running about new superintendents for the 2020-2021 school year.

By Jacob Perkins
Jacob.perkins@education.ky.gov

Whenever Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) employees begin making their way back into KDE headquarters in Frankfort, one familiar face will have already hit the ground running in Garrard County.

Kevin Stull played an integral role in the department during his tenure. He served as the lead for the Principals Professional Growth and Effectiveness System, was a chief strategic adviser in the Office of Teaching and Learning and the director of the Division of State Schools, where he provided support to the Kentucky School for the Deaf and the Kentucky School for the Blind.

“Working for KDE has given me a much broader understanding of the P-20 system,” said Stull. “I have had the opportunity to see successful schools across the Commonwealth, as well as across the nation. Having had the chance to work with other states, I have learned the value of policy development based on the local culture and need.

“I hope to utilize the experiences I was afforded by KDE to foster new ideas and innovations with the Garrard County team of students, teachers, staff, parents, community and administrators.”

Garrard County’s Board of Education unanimously approved the hire of Stull and he officially began his second stint with the district on July 1, having served as principal of Garrard County High School prior to joining KDE.

For a small district, Stull said, Garrard County has been a strong contributor to education in the Commonwealth.

“Garrard County Schools have always produced exceptional students and employees,” he said. “Just a quick look at KDE reveals (former) Interim Commissioner Kevin Brown is a Garrard County graduate. Associate Commissioner David Horseman was principal at the Garrard ATC.

“It is an incredible opportunity to come back to work with such an influential district and such a dedicated staff.”

Stull said his primary goal heading into the 2020-2021 school year is to develop and launch a successful return to school for the Garrard County community. When looking toward the future, he hopes that during his time in this position, he is able to be an innovative leader for his students and staff.

“I hope I can say I served the students and the staff in ways that highlighted their strengths and supported their growth in developing new strengths,” he said. “I hope I challenged the status quo, enhanced current partnerships and grew new ones, and found ways to accomplish innovations we cannot even imagine right now.”