Joshua Matthews, who has been serving as assistant principal of Olmstead School, was selected as the new principal of Lewisburg School at a special meeting of the Lewisburg Site Based Decision Making Council Friday morning. He succeeds Randy Marcum, who announced his retirement this summer.
Matthews attended schools in both the Russellville and Logan County systems, graduating from Logan County High School. He played junior college basketball in North Carolina before attending Western Kentucky University. Matthews holds a Masters degree in Teaching from the University of the Cumberlands as well as Principal certification and a Specialist in Education degree from the University of the Cumberlands. He is working toward a doctorate in education at this time.
After serving as a student basketball coach at WKU in women’s basketball, he was a head junior college women’s basketball coach for several years. He returned home and became girls basketball coach at Franklin-Simpson High School. In his last year of coaching in 2013-14, his Lady Cats went 24-6 and reached the regional semifinals.
He then resigned from coaching to pursue a career in administration and has rapidly risen in that field, becoming a principal in just his third year in that field.
“I am honored and excited to be the new principal at Lewisburg. To graduate from Logan County High School and return to the district as a principal is a dream come true. Lewisburg has a great tradition and we hope to continue to build on that rich tradition,” Matthews says.
Paul Mullins, the new superintendent of Logan County Schools who is a former Lewisburg principal himself, is excited about Matthews being selected as the principal and looks forward to working with him. “The council is excited with the hire of Mr. Matthews and his enthusiasm and passion for students and success,” Mullins says “I would also like to thank Mr. Randy Marcum for his excellent service to Logan County, as we wish him the best in his retirement.”
Josh and his wife Sharla have a son, Anderson, and currently reside in Franklin.
He is the son of former Russellville Lady Panther basketball coach Bob Matthews and his wife, Nancy Matthews, who previously worked in Probation and Parole in Logan County.
The LoJo
Eleven of the 14 administrative positions in the six Logan County schools plus the superintendent have changed in the last 17 months.
It began when highly successful Olmstead principal Ben Kemplin was promoted to the central office. He was succeeded at Olmstead by then-assistant principal Bonnie Watson with Matthews becoming her assistant.
At Adairville, Principal Kristina Kemplin moved to the central office. Named to replace her was then-Auburn assistant principal Katrina Rice. Her assistant is now Ben Bruni, a former head football coach at Todd Central and Warren East.
With Rice’s move, Sara Hess Hatton became assistant principal at Auburn.
When LCHS Principal Casey Jaynes took a central office administrative post in Boone County, Chandlers Principal Caycee Spears was chosen to be his replacement.
Chandlers then needed a new principal, and then-assistant principal Robbie Davis was chosen as his successor. Her assistant principal is Spears’ wife, Bonnie Spears.
Now Marcum’s retirement at Lewisburg led to the hiring of Matthews, which opens the Olmstead assistant principal’s position again. It may be that the Lewisburg assistant principal’s job is open, too. Barry White worked in that role last year, but it’s not clear who will be Matthews’ assistant.
Dr. Kevin Hub resigned after two years as Logan superintendent to accept the same role with the Scott County schools, leading to Mullins’ return. He had been superintendent in Garrard County.
David Ward has been principal of Auburn School for over a decade. Also still in place are LCHS assistant principals Alissa Todd and Mike Hoots, along with several central office administrators.