BLOOMINGTON, IND. — The Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) Board of School Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Markay L. Winston as the new superintendent of schools in a special meeting of the Board on January 7. Dr. Winston has been serving as interim superintendent since July 2024. Her seven-year tenure at MCCSC includes service as deputy superintendent and assistant superintendent for curriculum & instruction.
“We are thrilled to appoint Dr. Markay Winston as superintendent of MCCSC,” said Board President April Hennessey. “In her six months as interim superintendent, she has demonstrated her deep understanding of our community, her compassion for all of our stakeholders, her deep commitment to making this district the best it can be, and her skill at navigating so many competing priorities at this crucial moment. We are excited to work alongside Dr. Winston and her team to continue the legacy of academic excellence and equity in MCCSC.”
Dr. Winston’s appointment is the culmination of her three-phased entry plan into her role, focused on community listening, learning, and examining MCCSC’s organizational health. In the six months she served as interim superintendent, she held nearly 200 listening sessions with individuals and advisory groups of parents, teachers, staff, community members/organizations, business leaders, government officials, and many others. She also established the Young Child Advisory Group and the Superintendent’s Student Voice Advisory Council to keep students centered in decision-making.
Dr. Winston’s focus on community engagement underscored her entry plan and is a hallmark of her leadership approach.
“My Superintendency will be characterized by honesty, respect, transparency, and integrity,” said Dr. Winston. “These pillars are central to my commitment to being a student-centered leader focused on coalition-building and authentic two-way communication.”
Dr. Winston has named six strategic priorities as being essential to MCCSC’s success: strengthening health and safety efforts; accelerating the learning potential and realities for all children; expanding early learning programs; ensuring state of the art academic, athletic, and performing arts facilities; strengthening fiscal and operational health; and establishing a new five-year strategic plan.
She named MCCSC’s strong foundation as the basis for these strategies.
“MCCSC has a long history of rich academic traditions, diverse curricular and extracurricular programs, numerous accolades achieved by our educators, and a world-class learning environment,” said Dr. Winston. “With these strong foundations in place, I envision our school corporation becoming the number one learning destination in southern Indiana — a school system of choice that focuses on the unique needs of every learner and creates innovative learning experiences for everybody’s children.”
Dr. Markay L. Winston’s executive portfolio includes more than 30 years of public school service, and seventeen years at the cabinet and central office level, primarily at MCCSC, Cincinnati, and Chicago Public Schools. She has a track record of successfully leading and managing strategic organizational initiatives and is nationally recognized for her work. She has served as a school psychologist with a focus on curriculum and instruction, director of student services, chief officer for diverse learner supports, chief academic officer, and deputy and assistant superintendent. Dr. Winston earned her Ph.D. and master’s degree in School Psychology & Counseling from the University of Cincinnati. She received her administration and superintendent license from Xavier University.
The next regular meeting of the Board of School Trustees will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 28 at the MCCSC Co-Lab. Meetings are streamed online on MCCSC’s YouTube channel, linked at www.mccsc.edu.