By Patricia Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Jay Brewer is no stranger to challenges. In fact, a challenge was what he thought accepting the Superintendent of Dayton Schools position 12 years ago would be.
That was because the school district ranked 171 in the state. Since there are only 173 districts in the entire state, Brewer knew a lot of work would be required to hoist the district out of the hole it was in.
“When a school district scores that low academically the state is required to send in a team to assist school officials to raise their scores,” Brewer explained. “It really did help.”
As it turned out, that wouldn’t be the only challenge he faced.
When Brewer talked with the finance team, it quickly became apparent that some misuse of funds had been going on. So while Brewer, as a new Superintendent in a new job, had a state team scrutinizing every move he made for the district, he also had a state auditor and the FBI looking for aberrations in the finances. They found a bunch. To top it off, the district didn’t have much money, barely enough for the minimal contingency fund that auditors require. The half million in the misuse of funds scandal left the district scrambling.
“I referred to it as my beginning trifecta,” Brewer said. “It was the financial scandal, the academic standing, and the budget deficit.”
Brewer stayed in the ring and deflected negative energy, inserting his personal energy to achieve his goal of ‘let’s get this right!’, a goal that his school board shared.
“I always felt it was going to work,” he said calmly. “It was a mountain to climb and we did it, inch by inch. We were the first river city school to achieve the Kentucky Distinguished School District award and that was in 2016. The school ranked 70th in the state that year, a huge jump from 2012 when I came. They don’t rank the schools like that anymore.”
Brewer was born and raised in Ludlow, so he understands smaller communities. In high school he became a lifeguard, and started teaching swim lessons. He found out he truly enjoyed teaching the kids, especially the younger ones, and that realization helped to shape his future.
He decided to major in elementary education at UK, focusing first on special ed and then physical ed. When he graduated, the principal at Ludlow elementary, Dan Jones, who had been a mentor to Brewer, asked if he wanted a job, and hired him to teach fourth grade, a position he kept for four years. He also coached cross country and track, sports he had competed in during high school. At the end of four years Jones retired and Brewer became principal for 8 years.
“I had met my wife at Ludlow, but she was from Ft Thomas, so we bought a house there,” said Brewer. “When the job opened for principal at Ruth Moyer elementary, I applied and got it.”
After 8 years, Brewer felt he was ready for a new challenge, so he applied to be superintendent in Dayton and was hired.
Brewer and his wife had three children, two daughters and a son, Annalee, Keegan and Emmarie, who are now in the 20 to 25 age group.
Throughout his career, he never stopped challenging himself in the outdoors with running, hiking and camping.
“I just ran a 51 mile race in Montgomery, Alabama, and I took first place,” he said. “I do run a lot. Last Saturday I ran about 18 miles and Sunday ten miles. I have run the Boston Marathon 3 times, and I have run the Flying Pig 25 years — this May will be 26 years. They call me a streaker because I haven’t broken my streak of consecutive races.”
He said his highest place was 16th out of a field of around 4000.
He has also run noted races in Havana, Greece, and Rome. He has run five 50-mile races and two 100-mile races, one in Columbus, Ohio and one in Jacksonville, Florida.
“You can’t ever think I’m not going to finish, because then you won’t,” Brewer said. “You have to know, in your head, that you are going to finish it, no matter how hard it is.”
Brewer’s experience with consistently challenging himself has helped him tackle problems with a certain amount of equanimity. He said he follows the “yes” and never listens to the ‘no’.
He is most proud of the team of administrators and teachers and board members who have worked so hard with him and focused on the kids.
But other things he has been a part of, and he is proud of, start with the literacy programs, such as the Dolly Parton Imagination library, and the preschool literacy program.
He is also proud of his work helping to get better legislation for public schools and against vouchers and charter schools.
He said there are 20 students attending NKU currently, as well as many each year acquiring dual credit classes.
Brewer said he is retiring because the numbers make sense. Twelve years at Ludlow, 8 at Ft Thomas and 12 at Dayton adds up to 32, and he is 56. The Kentucky Teacher Retirement System’s numbers for retirement age are 55 and the number of years worked is about 30.
“It is time for a new voice,” he said. “It is time to turn the page and do something else.”
The ‘something else’ he has planned for starts immediately after his last day on June 30 and is a series of what has come to be his signature hikes.
He will start with a hike in Virginia with his brother Dennis, and follow that with a hiking and camping trip to Wyoming with his son and some friends, similar to his prior trips to Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. Then in late August he and some other retirees are going to do the El Camino Pilgrimage, a 40-day hike across France and Spain, to keep completing what he calls his ‘bucket list of hiking adventures.’
“I will see what October brings when I get back,” he said. “I plan to continue my coaching consultant work, but I don’t know what else I will do yet.”
He looks fondly on his career, never regretting anything.
“All of my jobs have been good to me, and good for me,” he said. “I have always believed in the saying to ‘leave it better than you found it when you came.’ Our motto of Inspire, Engage, and Grow is something I believe, and I hope it continues to motivate the kids, so they know we’re going to get there, no matter what.”