During a special called meeting, the Murray Independent School District Board of Education named Dr. David Meinschein as the next Superintendent of Murray Independent Schools.
Currently, Meinschein serves as the Superintendent of Livingston County Schools and a Murray State University Board of Regent member. Prior to this position, he served as the assistant superintendent of instructional programs and principal at Ballard County Schools and as a science teacher, athletic director, instructional coach and assistant principal in Georgia. He holds his bachelor’s degree in biology from Murray State University, master’s degree in science education from Piedmont College, a specialist’s degree in leadership from Lincoln Memorial University and is a proud member of the first graduating class of the P-20 doctoral program at Murray State University.
Meinschein will begin his role as the new superintendent July 1, 2025, replacing Coy Samons who has served as superintendent since 2017. A 30-year veteran of leadership experience, Meinschein said he is humbled to join Murray’s great team. “I am excited to join a high performing team that appreciates a commitment to excellence. School districts are successful because of people organized around a strong vision to serve children. I hope to meet my new Tiger Family soon and begin developing relationships that will help us continue moving Murray Independent Schools forward.”
Meinschein was commissioned through the Murray State University ROTC program and spent five years on active duty in the U.S. Army, serving with the 101st Airborne and the 25th Infantry divisions. Upon leaving the Army, he went to work for a Fortune 500 Company and a telecommunications company out of California’s Silicon Valley that provided the first DSL internet access in the country.
Meinschein has received the PEAK Award for educational achievement, the KY Tell Winners Circle Award, the Woodmen of the World Community Partner Award, the AUSA and George C. Marshall Awards for military leadership and is a Kentucky Colonel. He was also a recipient of the 2024 Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) William T. Nallia Educational Leadership Award which recognizes leaders and their impact on Kentucky’s public education system. Meinschein received this honor along with Hardin County Schools Superintendent Terrie Morgan and Baird Vice Chair Jim Allen for working on a committee for a public policy to address Kentucky teacher shortages.
Meinschein met his wife, Mary, while attending Murray State University as first-generation college students. Mary is a 1993 graduate of the Murray State University Nursing program and a 2020 graduate of the College of Education and Human Services Master’s in Educational Administration program. David and Mary have seven children: Ashley, Emily, Caitlyn, Sara, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Rebecca.
“My hope would be, to be here soon and walk the district, I want people to know who I am, and most importantly, see the children’s faces, that’s why we exist,” he said. “I believe there are big shoes to fill. However, I bring my own pair of shoes and will seek to keep the education of students at the forefront of all we do honoring the past and current while looking to innovate for the future,” said Meinschein.