Matthew Byrnes to Leave Brewster High

Matt Byrnes is leaving Brewster High School to become assistant superintendent in the Darien School District in Connecticut. ERIC GROSS Brewster High School Principal Matt Byrnes will be leaving the hallowed halls of BHS next month to become Assistant Superintendent of Schools in the Darien School District in Connecticut.

Byrnes said he was leaving Putnam County with mixed emotions: “I love being a principal and enjoyed my tenure at Brewster High for the past six years and am sad to be leaving, but in the past couple of years my educational focus became curriculum, and it has been difficult to stay focused when I oversee a building of some 1,000 young adults.”

Byrnes said the opportunity in Darien posed new challenges and was very exciting: “I intend to keep doing good work while focusing on children and student learning. This is another way of achieving that goal.”

Brewster Superintendent Dr. Jane Sandbank said the district has already begun searching for an interim high school principal: “I have total confidence that the leadership team at the high school and our terrific staff will ensure a smooth transition.”

Sandbank commended Byrnes for his many initiatives during his years in Brewster: “Matt’s leadership has resulted in significant gains in student performance, based not only on test scores but on other indicators that included establishing a strong professional learning community culture and building a broad offering of programs and courses that emphasize excellence while meeting the needs of all students. The entire Brewster family wishes Mr. Byrnes well in his new position.”

Byrnes thanked Dr. Sandbank for her well wishes and called Brewster a “great place. We have made some major strides over the years thanks to our great students and parents, wonderful community support, and some of the best educators found anywhere.”