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New George Rogers Clark High School Principal Luke Toy has an unorthodox background.

However, that didn’t stop others from welcoming him with open arms.

On Monday afternoon, Toy was officially introduced as the Principal of George Rogers Clark High School in the library of the school located along Athens-Boonesboro Road.

“We’re very excited about our new principal,” said Clark County Public Schools Superintendent Dustin Howard. “[I] feel like we’ve picked up a young, energetic, passionate leader of people.”

The process of hiring a principal of George Rogers Clark High School was thorough.

Not only was the administration involved, but a group of parent and teacher representatives were also.

Surveys were sent out to the staff and community members to determine what vision was sought out in a candidate.

From there, applications got reviewed.

Before long, Toy was chosen.

Howard was asked what stood out about Mr. Toy, who has spent approximately ten years living in Clark County.

“He’s had some really good administrative experience,” Howard responded. “It made me feel comfortable as a dad of two GRC students, that [he] is a guy I’d want to be my kids’ principal.”

Principal Toy started his career in education as a science teacher for six years at Robert D. Campbell Junior High School.

He spent the last two years in Montgomery County as an Assistant Principal at Mapleton Elementary School and Montgomery County High School.

Toy initially earned a degree in construction engineering from Eastern Kentucky University.

However, he soon discovered that he was meant to be elsewhere.

“Even when I was doing that, I was still trying to teach people how to better themselves [and] be the best,” Toy said. “[I] knew where I was supposed to be was somewhere in a classroom, so I started teaching.”

Toy would eventually obtain Master’s Degrees in counseling, teaching, and educational leadership from Liberty University and the University of the Cumberlands.

After leading in the classroom, Toy also wanted to lead from the outside.

“I needed to be able to help teachers teach, so I started my career in administration,” he said. “When the head principal job here at GRC opened up, I knew that’s where I was supposed to be. Even talking to my wife, she brought up the fact that that’s all she heard out of me is getting back up here.”

From his time in Montgomery County, Toy is aware of GRC’s success in athletics.

However, he also looks for the school to continue growing academically.

“My heart and mind is that it’s [about] every kid here in the building,” Toy said. “The same mindset and the same success that we see in those avenues, I want our other kids to feel that and see that, and our community to be as receptive towards the academic side as well.”

Among other skills, Toy emphasizes communication, structure and processes in the classroom and utilizing a process known as backward design – in which the end goals get determined from the start of the planning process – as essential.

While looking forward to the job, Principal Toy acknowledges that he also seeks to see each student meet their potential.

“I want our kids to be able to take the things that they love and they’re passionate about, and couple that with the education we give them and be able to go out in the world and do whatever they want,” he said.