Hendrix Moving To Top Position

Duties Begin July 1

LINCOLN — The city will not only have a new school but a new superintendent for the school district before the summer ends.

Clay Hendrix will step into the superintendent’s position on July 1, just after Frank Holman retires. He was promoted from his current position as assistant superintendent in December 2011 by the Lincoln Consolidated District School Board.

Hendrix said Holman had been a positive influence on him.

“He [Holman] is such a visionary and such an innovator. He’s going to be a tough guy to follow,” Hendrix said.

Holman said he’s been very impressed with Hendrix and his work since he began working for the district in 2005 as a teacher.

“I’m very impressed with him, his work ethic and his knowledge,” Holman said. “His skills helped with our tech program and he helped get the ACE Charter. I think the board made a wise decision and he’ll do fantastic.”

Hendrix will be busy keeping an eye on continued construction work at the new Lincoln High School. Keys to the news school are supposed to be turned over to administrators on Aug. 1, sooner if construction is completed earlier.

Hendrix will be overseeing a move in grades 8-12 to the new

school, as well as making sure the middle school is ready to house the district administration offices from where they are currently located at 117 Boyer St. on the Lincoln square.

All of that will have to be organized and move forward smoothly because, as Hendrix said, it will be a “huge” move.

“There’s a lot to accomplish between May 27 and August 19 when school begins,” Hendrix said.

There will also be the implementation of a schoolwide New Tech program, continuing work toward waivers for the federal No Child Left Behind program, further application of common core, new projects for students and down the line — new financial challenges for a few years after the building of such a large project like a new high school.

“We’ll do all right financially,” Hendrix said. “It’s just when there has been this large a project — like a new school, it takes a while to readjust.”

Hendrix is well prepared for the top role with prior experience and higher education.

He attended North Arkansas College in Harrison, receiving an Associates of Arts degree.

From there he attended the University of Central Arkansas at Conway, where he earned a Bachelor Degree in Science.

Hendrix began a teaching career at Harrison Junior High teaching physical science, however after a year he changed course for about three years and worked in the industrial sector at a wholesale home decor office.

The three years he worked there helped him learn a lot of what he has had to know and will need to know as head of the district.

“I had to do general accounting, payroll, inventory and some sales,” Hendrix said. “I also learned about cash flow and accounts payable. I wrote checks, did withholding, and I know the good principles behind those jobs here.”

He was hired at Lincoln as a physical science and environmental science teacher in 2005. He also taught physics and chemistry and supervised the EAST program.

“I was ready to get back to education,” Hendrix said. “It suits me.”

Hendrix not only taught school, he went back to school at the same time, earning a Masters in Educational Leadership from Harding University in July 2008. He also received a principal license at the same time.

The next month he began working as principal with the Alternative Learning Environment.

Hendrix said he enjoyed working on ALE. He had worked at being the best teacher he could be and he worked at being the best principal he could be.

He also began work on a doctoral degree from Harding University, which is almost completed.

After success as both a teacher and principal, Hendrix was promoted to assistant superintendent in August 2010. His move to the central administrative office proved to be beneficial in his career due to working closely with Holman, learning about the superintendent job.

“I have had great opportunities here,” Hendrix said. “I like it here. I like the coworkers and people in the district have treated me well.”

Hendrix said he’s proud of the teachers and officials at all the schools.

Hendrix is looking ahead to the next school term. He’s excited about the new school and administration office move, but he thinks the Common Core curriculum is a big positive, giving teachers the opportunity to teach subjects more in depth.

“We’ve had too many curriculum standards,” Hendrix said. “We’re going to do a good job in Common Core — we’re working hard on it.”

Hendrix and his wife Amanda live in Lincoln. They have three children, Aidan, Faith and Violet.

Hendrix