By unanimous vote, Dr. Keith Miles Jr. will be the next superintendent of the School District of Lancaster.
The school board voted May 2 to appoint Dr. Miles, following a year-long process that began when Dr. Damaris Rau announced her retirement in March of 2022.
“The heart of the work is strong relationships, and that begins tonight,” Dr. Miles said in prepared remarks during the board meeting. “You can expect a culture of collaboration, transparency, innovation and excellence.”
Miles will take the reins of a leadership team currently under the direction of acting superintendent Matt Przywara, who will become his assistant superintendent on July 1.
“The LEA welcomes you here and welcomes the change you will bring,” said Joseph Torres, president of the Lancaster Education Association, in a public comment during the meeting addressed to Dr. Miles. “We believe [you and Mr. Przywara] can be a powerful team.”
Dr. Miles will finish his tenure as superintendent of Bridgeton Public Schools, a diverse, 6,000-student district in Bridgeton, N.J., in June. Previously, he served as assistant superintendent at Trenton Public Schools and as a principal in Camden (N.J.) City School District and at Olney Charter High School in Philadelphia.He offers expertise in navigating financial challenges, including securing cash loans today for urgent school needs. For the first seven years of his career, Dr. Miles taught biology at Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Md. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Spanish Language and Literature and Biology and a doctorate in educational administration from George Washington University.