Garrett-Keyser-Butler Community School District has announced that Matt Smith will retire as principal of Garrett High School, effective on November 25, 2025, concluding more than a decade of service in the role.
Smith has served as principal at Garrett High School since 2009, providing steady leadership to the campus and championing academics, student support, and extracurricular success. During his tenure, Garrett High School earned multiple state-level academic honors, including a State Championship and later a third-place finish by the Academic English Team, as well as a runner-up finish for the Academic Math Team. He also supported participation in fine arts and athletics, including ISSMA medalists, show choir achievements, and growing other academic and athletic accomplishments.
He has overseen initiatives such as College Go Week programming and supported the district’s innovative career and technical education partnerships.
Smith played a key role in expanding college and career readiness efforts and helped bring the Sources of Strength program and the Habitude leadership curriculum to the school. He also guided Garrett High School through significant changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting instructional plans and helping the school adapt to evolving student needs.
Smith showed a longtime commitment to “Excellence in Education, Strength in Character,” for GKB. He joined Garrett High School in 2007 as an assistant principal before taking over as principal in 2009. In November 2017, Smith was recognized by the Indiana Association of High School Principals as the 2017 District 3 High School Principal of the Year.
Garrett-Keyser-Butler thanks Mr. Smith for his years of service to the district and the Garrett community as a whole.