Thompson officially passes leadership baton

Matt Thompson has officially retired as Montgomery County Schools superintendent.

Incoming Superintendent Stephanie Harris assumes the role today.

In a social media post June 18, Montgomery County schools thanked Thompson for his "remarkable career and impactful leadership. His dedication to educational excellence has left a lasting legacy in our district. We wish him the very best in his retirement."

Thompson spent 11 years with the district. 

He announced he would retire at the end of the 2025-2026 school year last December.

He said in a letter to the Board of Education regarding his decision that "Serving as superintendent of Montgomery County Schools the past 11 years has been the highlight and honor of my career."

“What we have built here and accomplished for students, staff, families and the entire community, is nothing short of amazing. I have been incredibly blessed to have been led by God to this community and this position," Thompson said.

He addressed the situation he came into and how far the district had come.

“When I came 11 years ago the district was in disarray and turmoil,” Thompson said. “The former superintendent had been fired in disgrace and the entire district was hurting. It took many years of consistent work to help the district heal and recover, especially staffing-wise and financially. But now, we have incredible forward momentum."

“We are in a fantastic place academically, financially, facility wise and in all aspects,” he added. “Furthermore, we have done these things with honesty and integrity. Even though there is one more year on my contract, after much discussion with my family, we have decided that now is the safest and best time for me to hand the reins to the next superintendent who can work to build on the momentum that is present in the district. As such, it is with deep gratitude in my heart that I announce my intent to retire at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.”

Thompson told the Advocate at the time he felt the district was in excellent shape and he felt comfortable turning it over to someone else. He said Montgomery County has the best adminstrative staff, teachers, support staff and students.

He thanked his wife for her support over the years and stressed he and family would continue to be active community participants.

Thompson was recently named by Eastern Kentucky University as an “Experience Excellence” Superintendent of the Year. The awards are given in conjunction with the Central Kentucky Educational Cooperative (CKEC) and Southeast South-Central Educational Cooperative (SESC).

The EKU “Experience Excellence” Superintendent of the Year award employs a competitive process to identify Kentucky public school district superintendents with particularly notable talent and vision in instructional leadership, communication, professionalism and community involvement.

The award recipients  demonstrated the advancement of student success through their practices and daily leadership. These superintendents incorporate innovative thinking and bold action into their vision, and their transformational leadership style embraces guiding values of opportunity and trust, a release said.

David Young, chief executive officer at CKEC, said, “Dr. Thompson has been a strong leader in the CKEC region for many years—even before his tenure as superintendent of Montgomery County Schools. I have always known him to be deeply invested in the best interest of all students across our region, and his time at MCS has been one of growth and progress. He is very deserving of this award, and all of us at CKEC are so happy to see him receive it."

Thompson was recognized April 15 at the CKEC Board of Directors meeting. 

In recognition of the award, each superintendent selected an EKU-bound high school senior in their district to receive a one-time $1,000 scholarship sponsored by the College of Education and Applied Human Sciences.