Q & A With Superintendent Alexander On Thursday's Start of School

Edmonson County Superintendent Brian Alexander works in his office during summer hours at the Board of Education.

Darren Doyle, story:
We interviewed Edmonson County School Superintendent Brian Alexander about the beginning of the 2026-27 school year, which is today for teachers and staff, and tomorrow, August 13th for students. 

With the end of the Edmonson County 5/6 Center, the first year of the expansion of South Edmonson, and the final year of the current Kyrock Elementary before the new school opens in 2027-28, Mr. Alexander gave us his thoughts on school and some helpful tips for parents, guardians, and students.

Q: What are the biggest changes or any adjustments that the public should be made aware for the start of school on Thursday? 

A: I think first and foremost, we have reassigned students for the 5th and 6th grades.  6th graders now go to the Middle School for this year, while 5th grade will stay at Kyrock and South Edmonson, respectively.  

Q: South Edmonson Elementary's expansion has been pretty extensive and construction of the new Kyrock is still underway. Can you give us an update of those projects?

A: South Edmonson's renovation is complete.  We are so pleased with the way this turned out.  Unless you have a really trained eye, you can't really tell where the original part of the school ends, and where the new addition begins.  This was the goal from the beginning and this is both inside and out.  I think the school community at South Edmonson will be very pleased with the look and space of the newly renovated school there.  With a newly renovated media center as well, our Bulldogs have a lot to look forward to this school year.

Kyrock Elementary replacement construction is going remarkably well.  The project is ahead of schedule and will be ready for school a year from now in August of 2027.  We are very pleased with how this project will turn out and we fully expect our new Kyrock to be a source of pride for Blackhawks for generations to come!

In addition, we've worked on the Football/Soccer field as well, installing an new turf playing field.  And that's not all. We have even more additions and improvements planned for this area!

Q: People can sometimes underestimate the impact on school traffic, especially in the mornings when everyone is headed to work. What will be the main timeframes of school traffic?

A: School traffic starts to amp up around 7:15 am in the mornings, with 7:25 to 7:50 turning into the peak times for traffic at all our schools.  Please plan ahead and have your children to school on time.  We have breakfast at all locations each morning!

Q: You have been very proactive in with improvements to the facilities at all Edmonson County Schools during your tenure, as proven by the construction projects. Is there more you can discuss and provide your personal expectations for the upcoming school year?

A: We're excited to get the new year going.  It's always the goal, first and foremost, to provide a safe environment for our staff and students.  The addition of a third school resource officer this year shows the Board's dedication to safety.  Our schools are above and beyond the state requirements for school safety.

We have a great staff at each of our schools and our teachers have been working for several days to plan lessons that  will capture and stimulate the minds of our kids in the classroom.  Edmonson County Schools is very proud to say that all of our schools that start this school year are HIGH ACHIEVING SCHOOLS in terms of state standards.  We value each student!

Edmonson County is a great place to live, and our students all have schools that are great places to learn.  Its a great time to be a part of Edmonson County Schools!
​