The Barbourville Independent School District's superintendent, Larry E. Warren, has been designated as an Outstanding Superintendent for 2002 by the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC), Kentucky's largest educational consortium.
     KEDC's award, received by Warren at the regular June meeting in Covington, serves as recognition of his contributions to the Barbourville School District and to public education in general. It has been recognized that he has promoted and encouraged the Barbourville School System to embrace technology in a way that has resulted in having computers in each classroom. Two computer labs are now available for the high school and one for the elementary. As a result, all students have the opportunity to become aware of the knowledge attainable through this world-wide access. In addition, algebra and foreign language classes have been included in both the elementary and high school. All of these programs acknowledge the positive effect that learning will transmit to students if they are exposed to opportunities to learn at an earlier age. The district has also worked on the physical facilities through remodeling the elementary building and constructing an activity center.
     Dan Sullivan, KEDC's Selection Committee chairman and superintendent of Newport Independent Schools, said that "through Warren's leadership, Barbourville is getting very close to being the first district to meet its facility needs planning goal." Frank Welch, chairman of KEDC and superintendent of Pike County, presented the award and stressed that "Mr. Warren exhibits unselfish traits in his willingness to serve as an officer in various groups and organizations in his promotion of education." In response, Warren, who became superintendent in 1995, expressed his surprise at receiving the award. "Any accomplishments that may happen are a joint effort between myself and our wonderful students, board, staff, and parents. We all work very closely together."
     Ken Boggs, vice-chairman of the Barbourville board, emphasized that "He's worked hard on the new gym and the elementary school and, to my understanding, we're one of the few systems in the state that has all of our facilities up to the governor's request." Shirley "Buck" Treadway, an exceptional board chairman and member for over forty-one years, added, "I was very pleased. I wasn't surprised. We've known it all along. He's been very active in the KEDC. Our campus is coming along. The additional classroom, the complete renovations of the elementary building, it all came under Warren."
     Established in 1965, KEDC is Kentucky's oldest and largest educational cooperative offering a variety of support services such as instructional support, professional development, collective bidding/purchasing, grant and public relations support, and technology services. The cooperative is based near Ashland, Kentucky. In addition to Larry Warren, KEDC provided awards to five other superintendents across the state.