Second Street School Principal Rich Crowe will be the next superintendent for Frankfort Independent Schools.

The board of education voted unanimously to hire Crowe Monday night.

"We are very excited about the future of our district," Board Member Greg Miklavcic said.
Crowe, who was given a four-year contract worth $94,000 a year, will replace current Superintendent
Dianne Cobb on July 1, when she retires.

Several friends and family members were on hand in the Frankfort High/Middle School auditorium to congratulate Crowe at the meeting. They gave him a standing ovation when his appointment was announced.

Crowe has 26 years experience working in the Frankfort area. He earned his undergraduate degree in elementary education at the University of Kentucky. Crowe received his master's in elementary education as well as his principalship and Rank 1 at Eastern Kentucky University.

He has been principal at Bald Knob Elementary School, Collins Lane Elementary School and SSS, where he has held the position for 10 years.

"I think our district epitomizes what public education should be about in America and I wanted to be a part in leading that," Crowe said after he accepted the position.

Board member Paul Looney said the success of SSS and Crowe's experience working with curriculum were important factors in the board's decision.

"The strides that Second Street has made since he's been principal over there were a big factor," Looney said. "Everything he brings as far as curriculum background was truly, really important to the board. We were really looking for somebody who could be a curriculum advisor to our whole district."
Crowe agreed his experience will help, but said he'll face different issues as superintendent.

"The budget side of the district is a lot more than the budget side of running a school," he said. "There's a heck of a lot more to financing an entire district. You've got to think about buses, think about food, athletics and everything else, it will be a little more difficult."

Crowe recognized that the district faces challenges with the new education budget, which cut funding in many areas.

"It's going to be tough," he said. "We've got decreased funding in Professional Development, (Extended School Services) and several other things. We're just going to have to really look at things and decide where our priorities need to be."
The school council at Second Street will begin searching for a new principal this week, Crowe said.