Brookland, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Aug. 13, 2025 – New Brookland Public Schools (BPS) superintendent George Kennedy wants parents and students to know he is committed to improving academic quality while maintaining a “small school experience” focused on students and families.

Kennedy assumed the role of superintendent July 1, a role previously held by Dr. Brett Bunch, who is now superintendent of Lonoke Public Schools.

Kennedy has been with BPS since the 2021-2022 school year, first serving as interim superintendent and then assistant superintendent. This will be his 39th year in education, serving in towns like Prairie Grove, Clarksville, and Hackett.

Having already worked with BPS, Kennedy said it has been great to get a feel of the community, helping people behind the scenes and getting a vision of where the district is going.

“Even though I had a lot of years of experience, just kind of giving me a chance to see where I wanted to go, and Brookland offered that opportunity,” he said.

One thing that Kennedy noticed in his time at BPS is how much the community has grown. He said when he arrived, there were about 2,800 students total. For the 2025-2026 school year, there are over 3,200 students. He added that despite the size of the district, he still wants to have “a small school experience.”

“Basically a customer service piece where we take care of our kids, listen to our parents, listen to the teachers, but with all the opportunities of being a 4A, 5A school,” Kennedy said.

A project in the works for Kennedy’s administration is a new intermediate school for third and fourth graders, which he said is planned to open for the 2026-2027 school year. He expects there to be 550 students in classes when the building opens.

The project was started in Bunch’s administration, but Kennedy hopes to continue the project while refocusing their vision.

The intermediate school is one of several goals Kennedy hopes to accomplish in his time as superintendent. Another is ensuring academic quality is increased, with Kennedy saying based on the Arkansas school rating system, they are not pleased with where they have been in the last few years with a ranking of C.

“We need to do a better job,” he said. “It’s our goal to be an A, we want every building to be an A building. We want our district to be in a district I’d love.”

Right now, Kennedy said the district is looking hard at what it’s teaching, if it aligns with what the state is asking them to teach, and it is the right thing to teach. He added that the curriculum will continue to make sure the students are not only prepared for college, but their careers.

“There are lots of great careers that we need to continue to build for that don’t require a college education, so we’re looking at all those opportunities,” he said.

Another aspect Kennedy wants to make sure BPS is known for is its community engagement. He said a recent community pep rally had between 1,500 to 2,000 people come out, enjoying various booths and food trucks, among other activities.

Events like these help them communicate on what issues students and parents are facing and how to address them, he said.

Kennedy added that as a superintendent, it is important to be as honest as you can, noting that the children are “the real priority.”

“I think sometimes it’s easy for educators to say that, but then you have to really live it out, and we want our families to be first, our kids to be first. If I don’t live that out myself, people are going to know real quickly that I’m not authentic and transparent. I just want to try to do what’s right,” he said.

Kennedy will be working alongside Chris Moss, who was announced as the district’s new assistant superintendent in July.

All in all, Kennedy said he is excited about the opportunity to better serve his community and hopes to do what is right to move education forward. He added that he thinks the district will see some great things not because of him, but because of the people who work with the students.

“I hope that this will become a place where people are glad to come to work, glad to come to school,” he said. “Building that culture excites me, that this could really be an opportunity for everyone to make a difference.”