South Pike’s search for a new superintendent has ended close to home.
District trustees have selected Dr. Angela Lowery, now the principal at Osyka Elementary School, to take over as the district’s leader no later than July 1.
“I am extremely honored and thankful the South Pike school board chose me to lead the South Pike School District,” Lowery said in a statement issued by the district Tuesday. “I love South Pike, and I am ready for South Pike to move to the next level. With a strong team, we can get there!”
The school board met last Friday to vote for Lowery’s appointment, ending a three-month search coordinated by the Mississippi School Boards Association.
“Dr. Lowery is an outstanding educator with a proven record (of) utilizing data to drive academic achievement,” board President Dr. Luke Lampton said in a statement. “The board was not only impressed with her exemplary skills and leadership ability, but also with her long commitment to the children of South Pike School District. We feel confident we have picked the best candidate who will move our district forward.”
Board members, Lowery and outgoing Superintendent Dr. Donna Scott are discussing the timeline for transition. Scott informed the board in December that she would resign effective June 30.
However, Scott may have the option of using sick and vacation days to exit earlier.
Lowery was an assistant teacher at Tylertown Primary School when she enrolled in the education program at William Carey University, where she earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She then earned a specialist degree in educational leadership through the University of Mississippi’s Principal Corps program and completed her doctorate at Belhaven University.
She recently completed the Mississippi School Boards Association’s Prospective Superintendent Leadership Academy, a yearlong program to prepare potential candidates for superintendent positions in Mississippi.
She has 18 years’ experience in education, including 16 years with South Pike. Under her leadership, Osyka’s rating from the state has risen from D to B.
Lampton, reached Tuesday afternoon, said Lowery had been under consideration by the district’s board members for some time.
She was “a finalist in our previous search,” he said. She has the background and a lot of the critical training that superintendents need. She has been preparing for a while.”
He said Lowery’s experience in improving Osyka’s rating played a significant role in her hiring.
“The most important factor was, she has a proven record of using data to improve academic achievement,” Lampton said. “We wanted someone that we could hold accountable to the data, and she has moved her school using the data she has.”
A decade or so of fairly frequent turnover in the superintendent’s office also played into Lowery’s selection.
“She has been in the district a long time now,” Lampton said. “She has a commitment to South Pike’s children. She’s a member of the South Pike Nation, and she’s a wonderful candidate to lead us to the future.
“We are hopeful she is someone who will provide stability for a lengthy period ... (that) she won’t leave after moving the district forward.”
Lowery could not be reached for further comment Tuesday afternoon.
