Dr. Larry A. Massie to Assume Superintendent Post August 1st
At the July 19, 2011 Lynchburg City School Board meeting, the School Board voted to appoint Dr. Larry A. Massie as Interim Superintendent. Dr. Massie’s appointment is effective August 1, 2011 and it is anticipated that he will serve until the School Board has completed a search and a new superintendent is hired to lead the division.
Dr. Massie brings a wealth of relevant experience to the interim post, having served as a school superintendent in Virginia for 24 years, including a highly successful tenure as Interim Superintendent in Orange County, VA in 2008-2009. Prior to serving in Orange County, Dr. Massie served as Superintendent of the Buckingham County and Russell County Public Schools. When Dr. Massie began his tenure in Buckingham, none of the division’s schools were accredited. Under Dr. Massie’s leadership, the division obtained full state accreditation for all schools and met division-wide Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Dr. Massie has garnered considerable recognition for his leadership throughout his distinguished career, including being honored as Regional Superintendent of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) three times; in 2008, 2006 and 1998. Dr. Massie holds a B.S. from the University of Tennessee, an M.A. in Education Administration from East Tennessee State University and an Ed.D. from Virginia Tech.
“The Board is impressed with Dr. Massie’s well documented record of improving academic achievement for all students. He has provided strong, effective leadership in an era of increased accountability and fiscal stress, and his past experience as an Interim Superintendent will be invaluable to us. Lynchburg is fortunate to have Dr. Massie’s leadership skills and depth of experience at the helm during such a critical transition period for both the school system and our city,” said School Board Chairman Charlie White.
As announced previously, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Al Coleman, will continue to serve as the Acting Superintendent through July 31, 2011. The School Board is very appreciative of Mr. Coleman’s continued steady leadership and capable service during this transition period.
The School Board is in the process of evaluating proposals from consulting firms to aid in the search for Lynchburg City School’s next superintendent. Once initiated, a search is expected to take at least four to six months. During this time, the School Board will solicit the input of the community to identify the attributes most important for the next school division head.