Brown County Schools Superintendent Laura Hammack will be leaving the district at the end of this school year.
The Beech Grove City Schools Board of Trustees approved Hammack as their new superintendent at their meeting tonight.
The news was announced in an email that went out to all Brown County Schools faculty and families this evening.
"And while this news may be welcome or disappointing," Hammack wrote, "it is important to me to share with you that my heart is filled with sincere gratitude for every day that I was gifted the opportunity to serve our school community."
Hammack came to Brown County from Beech Grove Schools in 2016 after David Shaffer’s retirement as Brown County Schools superintendent. She had served as assistant superintendent for Beech Grove Schools since July 2009.
She began her education career here in Brown County as a special education teacher.
Hammack was assistant superintendent under Shaffer from July 2007 to July 2009. Before that, she taught special education and sixth grade at Nashville Elementary before becoming principal of Helmsburg Elementary.
One of her first promises as superintendent was to give teachers and staff raises, using money from a referendum that voters approved.
At the same time, over the last five years she has served as superintendent, Hammack and her team have cut more than $4.5 million from the district’s struggling budget. Those methods included not replacing teachers who leave, switching health insurance plans, hiring an outside company to run food service, and offering certain courses that are reimbursable by the state.
Earlier this year, the school board approved more cost-cutting strategies in light of declining student enrollment and funding from the state, including closing Brown County Intermediate School. This summer, it will be remade into the Educational Service Center and house the Brown County Career Resource Center and a daycare/preschool program, while the CRC’s current building will be sold.
The Brown County Schools Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, April 15 and discuss Hammack’s departure and the process to find her replacement.
"Brown County Schools is an extraordinary school district with extraordinary people," Hammack wrote in her message to parents tonight.
"I will miss serving this community; however, I am sincerely enthusiastic for the transition in leadership of this district. While I believe that my time here served a valuable purpose, I am deeply confident that the next Superintendent will lead Brown County Schools to realizing a ‘next level’ of district transformation."
