The Covington Board of Education voted unanimously on Thursday to appoint Cortnei Flucas as the next Superintendent of Covington Independent Public Schools.
Flucas, a widely respected education leader who most recently served as Unified Student Supports Officer for Indianapolis Public Schools, will lead Covington Independent Public Schools as the district builds on its 200-year tradition of public education and enters its next chapter with a renewed focus on student outcomes, trust, and excellence.
“I am deeply honored by the Board’s confidence and excited to serve the Covington community,” Flucas said. “From my earliest conversations, it was clear that Covington is a community with deep pride, real momentum, and a strong belief in what its students can achieve. My family and I are thrilled to become part of this community. I look forward to listening closely, building strong relationships, and working alongside students, families, staff, and community partners to help write the next chapter of excellence for Covington Independent Public Schools.”
Board Chair Tom Haggard said the vote reflects the Board’s full confidence in Flucas’s ability to lead the district forward.
“The unanimous vote reflects our Board’s clear and collective belief that Cortnei Flucas is the right leader for this moment in Covington,” Haggard said. “This community was clear about what it wanted in its next superintendent: someone who puts students first, listens before leading, builds trust through transparency and follow-through, and has the courage to lead meaningful change. We found that leader in Ms. Flucas.”
About Cortnei Flucas
Flucas brings nearly two decades of educational leadership experience and a strong record of improving systems in the service of students. In Indianapolis Schools, she led a broad portfolio that included special education, student services, mental health and wellness, family engagement, and school culture across a district serving more than 30,000 students in more than 50 schools.
Across her career, Flucas has built a reputation as a thoughtful, student-centered leader who can bring clarity, alignment, and accountability to complex organizations. Her experience spans the classroom, school leadership, and executive central office leadership. She has led work to strengthen student supports, improve reading outcomes, reduce chronic absenteeism, expand family engagement, and build more coherent systems to help schools meet the needs of all learners.
The Board said Flucas stood out not only for her professional track record, but also for her clear alignment with the values and priorities the community expressed throughout the search, including academic improvement, transparency, accountability, strong communication, and a willingness to innovate in the best interests of students.
“As we celebrate 200 years of public education in Covington, this is about far more than filling a position,” Haggard said. “It is about setting a direction for the future. Our Board is united in believing that Cortnei Flucas has the vision, the experience, and the character to help us build the next 200 years of public education with purpose, urgency, and hope.”
Flucas assumes the role of superintendent on July 1. She and her husband, Sherman, are the parents of three children, Chase, 7, Charlotte, 6, and Charleston, 5.
About the Search Process
The Board’s decision followed a months-long national search conducted in partnership with Alma Advisory Group and informed by one of the most extensive public engagement efforts in district history.
Hundreds of stakeholders helped shape the leadership profile and priorities for the district’s next superintendent. Throughout the process, the community consistently voiced both pride in Covington’s schools and a desire for stronger academic performance, improved staff stability, clearer communication, deeper engagement, and leadership that is student-centered, accountable, and responsive.
Candidates moved through a rigorous vetting process that included multiple interviews across several rounds. Those interviews included staff from across the district, including teachers, classified staff, principals, and central office administrators, as well as parents, community members, students from Holmes High School, and ultimately the full Board of Education. Feedback from those conversations informed the Board’s final decision.
“This was truly a community-wide search for our next superintendent,” Haggard said. “Our Board took that responsibility seriously. We listened to what our stakeholders said they wanted and built a process that gave those voices a real role in shaping the outcome.”
About Covington Independent Public Schools
Covington Independent Public Schools is one of Kentucky’s largest independent school districts, serving approximately 3,300 students across an early childhood center, five elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and an adult high school program. Tracing its roots to 1825, the district is proud to be part of a 200-year tradition of public education in Covington and is home to Holmes High School, the first public co-educational high school in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As the most diverse school district in Northern Kentucky, Covington Independent Public Schools works in partnership with families, businesses, and the broader community to ensure every student has a roadmap to success.