New Carlisle superintendent works his way up the ranks

New Carlisle superintendent works his way up the ranks

Even though Carlisle and Cabot are both in Lonoke County, Brad Horn didn’t know a lot about Carlisle before applying for the city’s high school principal’s job five years ago.

However, in that five years, Horn has been promoted to superintendent of the Carlisle School District.

Horn, 46, is in his fifth year as Carlisle High School principal, his first administration job after teaching for many years in Cabot, his alma mater.

“At the time, I really didn’t know anything about [Class] 2A schools,” Horn said. “I was used to at least four principals being in the office. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a ‘head only’ principal with no assistant. I really didn’t know what I was applying for. I thought I was looking at an assistant’s role.”

Horn was teaching at Cabot Middle School North when he received an email about the high school principal’s job at Carlisle.

“It was stating that Mr. [Jason] Clark would be a good superintendent to work for and that there was an opening over in Carlisle,” Horn said. “I applied for it.

“As I dug deeper, I found it was the head principal’s job. I actually talked to Sandy Collins, who was the secretary at the time, about it. I came on over and talked to Mr. Clark and got the job.”

Horn said Cabot has a great school and that he got a good education there and enjoyed working there.

“But there is something to a smaller school,” he said. “I tell people all the time — my first three weeks there, from being on lunch duty, I think I had a connection of some kind with every kid who walked into the building. I could not have told you everyone’s name, but I recognized every student who came in the door. Cabot is such a big school. You’re lucky to know the people in Champ’s Hall, where I was teaching.

“Just the smaller feel to the school I enjoy. I really do enjoy it. I think that’s what attracted me to it — the opportunity.”

It means a lot that I get to take over as superintendent.” Brad Horn NEW CARLISLE SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT

JENNIFER ELLIS/THREE RIVERS EDITION Brad Horn, the current Carlisle High School principal, stands in the hallway of the school. Horn was promoted to superintendent by the Carlisle School Board in January. Horn has worked at Carlisle for five years, going there from his hometown of Cabot.