Montgomery County Superintendent of Schools Bernard Bragen has resigned effective Aug. 30, the school division announced late Friday.
The 8:30 p.m. announcement followed a specially called closed-door meeting of the county school board at 6:30 p.m. Friday to discuss personnel matters. The board unanimously accepted Bragen’s resignation after the executive session.
The Montgomery County School Board also had held a closed-door meeting on the same basis on Tuesday.
“The School Board is thankful for Dr. Bragen’s dedicated service to our students, staff, and community,” MCPS School Board Chair Linwood Hudson said. “He has made MCPS a better place, and while he will be greatly missed, we respect his desire to be closer to his family.”
Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Bernard Bragen listens as Christiansburg Elementary School students discuss a STEM engineering project in January 2023.
The Roanoke Times, File 2023
Bragen moved from New Jersey to take the helm of the 9,500-student school division in Christiansburg in December 2002 following the dismissal of Mark Miear the preceding March. Bragen, then 57, arrived with more than 30 years of experience in education, most recently as superintendent of Edison Township Public Schools. His starting salary was $240,000. In Virginia, school superintendents are typically hired on a four-year, renewable contract that is reviewed by the local school board in the third year.
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“There is much to be proud of in Montgomery County Public Schools, and at the heart of our success is the strong partnership between our schools, families, and community,” Bragen said in a school division news release. “It has been my honor to serve this incredible community and work with a dedicated team of educators and staff who put students first every day.”
Hudson said the school board next will appoint an interim superintendent and then begin the search for a permanent school leader.