The Baldwin County Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to hire Robbie Owen, the former principal of Rockwell Elementary School, as the district’s permanent superintendent, closing out a months-long search process.
Owen had been serving as interim superintendent since mid-August, after former Superintendent Alan Lee abruptly announced his resignation. With the vote, Owen now leads one of Alabama’s largest and fastest-growing school systems, overseeing roughly 30,000 students across Baldwin County.
“It’s a great day,” Owen said after the meeting. “I love Baldwin County … I want to do whatever I can to make this a better place.”
Board President Norm Moore said Owen’s salary will be $145,000 per year, with the board planning to revisit and renegotiate the terms of his contract in June. Moore said three candidates had applied for the position, though one was disqualified for not meeting the job’s requirements. Board members met with Owen earlier in the week to work out the details of his contract before Thursday’s vote.
Owen had served as principal at Rockwell Elementary School in Spanish Fort since 1997, building a reputation that extended well beyond Baldwin County. In 2011, he was recognized on the White House website as a “Champion of Change,” and in 2008 he was named Alabama’s National Distinguished Principal. He is a graduate of the University of Mobile, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education along with a degree in sociology.
Moore said the board had received extensive positive feedback from teachers and community members throughout Owen’s time as interim leader, particularly praising his outreach and communication style.
“He’s local; a lot of folks feel like he has a handle on local issues and local problems, and an understanding of how we do things and a familiarity of the issues and the opportunities that we have,” Moore said. “He’s a compassionate guy; they like that about him.”
Owen’s hiring comes at a critical time for the district, which recently unveiled a $350 million, 10-year capital needs plan and is asking voters to approve an 8-mill property tax increase in a March referendum to help fund new schools and renovations amid rapid enrollment growth.
With the superintendent search now settled, Baldwin County school officials said they intend to focus on steering the district’s growth plan and technology initiatives forward under Owen’s permanent leadership, from Bay Minette to the Eastern Shore and south Baldwin County’s beach communities.