Markay Winston was named superintendent of MCCSC

Bloomington, Indiana – After acting as interim superintendent since July, Markay Winston will continue to serve as superintendent of the Monroe County Community School Corporation.

She was appointed by the MCCSC Board of School Trustees on Tuesday at its annual reorganizational meeting. Tuesday was an at-home e-learning day for MCCSC schools because of the bad weather.

Winston remarked during the meeting, “I am grateful for your confidence in me to serve our most precious community assets: our students.”

During public comment, one individual spoke. Winston has significant community engagement, which is a terrific characteristic for the superintendent, according to Jim Sims, the current acting president of the Monroe County NAACP and a former president of the Bloomington City Council. Winston’s appointment was then unanimously approved by the board.

MCCSC board president April Hennessey told Winston, “I am so incredibly grateful to have you in this role, and I don’t think there is anyone better suited to serve this community at this particular time than you.”

According to a press release, Winston was previously the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and the deputy superintendent for MCCSC. Since 2023, she has been employed at IU’s School of Education as an adjunct professor.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Winston holds a Master of Education and a Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology and Counseling from the University of Cincinnati. Prior to this, she worked as an adjunct professor at the Universities of Dayton and Cincinnati, as well as at Princeton City Schools, Cincinnati Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools, and Dayton Public Schools.

In a 48-second meeting in March, the MCCSC board decided to pay roughly $229,000 to buy out the remaining contract of former Superintendent Jeff Hauswald. The buyout came after Hauswald’s administration made some contentious decisions, such as trying to coordinate the calendars of MCCSC high schools, which sparked protests from teachers, parents, and students.

Hauswald submitted a concept to the MCCSC board in December 2023 that includes combining Childs and Templeton primary Schools in order to balance socioeconomic status in the primary schools. Parents reacted negatively to it for a variety of reasons, including unclear instructions and transportation issues. In April, the board gave its approval to merge beginning with the 2025–2026 academic year. The board put that proposal on hold in November while conducting a thorough redistricting review.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hauswald served as the district’s leader as well. Two property tax referendums that boosted teacher pay and pre-K funding were approved by Monroe County voters during his administration.

The announcement said that Markay’s goals include developing a new five-year plan for the district, expanding early learning programs, and enhancing health and safety. The district’s current five-year plan ends this year.

According to a release, Winston has formed the Student Voice Advisory Council and Young Child Advisory Group during her interim term, and she has conducted nearly 200 listening sessions with community individuals and organizations.

Winston provided updates on each phase during the first few months of his interim role, as well as a multi-phased entrance strategy through November. Among her objectives were to close “opportunity gaps” for students, examine MCCSC’s operational and financial health, and form a solid governance team with the board.