The Newark City Schools Board of Education intends to approve a contract at its regular meeting on June 8 with David L. Lewis as the next Superintendent of the district, Board President Timothy Carr announced today.
The Board had undertaken an extensive search and review of potential candidates since early March, and the process included the development of a superintendent search profile outlining characteristics and skills sought for the next superintendent, followed by interviews and background checks on all candidates. The process culminated this past Tuesday with final interviews and meetings of community and staff members with the finalists for the position.
“The Board was impressed with Mr. Lewis’ focus on students, his demonstrated evidence of collaboration with both staff and other stakeholders, his history of community involvement, his vision for the Newark City Schools, and his energy,” Carr said.
Lewis has served for the past seven years as the Superintendent of the Miami Trace Local Schools in Fayette County. Prior to that, he had been a high school principal and assistant principal and middle school teacher.
During his tenure at Miami Trace, the district has earned an overall grade of B on the state’s district report card, successfully passed a bond issue to construct a new high school, initiated a marketing plan that has raised about $750,000 for facility improvements, and established a new learning center serving the district as an alternative school and behavior unit for students in kindergarten through grade twelve.
Carr added that Mr. Lewis will become an integral part of the Newark community since one of the Board’s requirements was that the new Superintendent become embedded in the district, and he added that Lewis is looking forward to that opportunity.
“The Board was really impressed with the credentials of all of the applicants, and especially those of the finalists,” Carr said. “Any of them could be an outstanding Superintendent in any district. However, we just felt that Mr. Lewis was the best candidate for Newark.”
The Board was assisted in its search by the Licking County Educational Service Center and by K-12 Business Consulting.