Lowndes County School District Welcomes New Assistant Superintendents

COLUMBUS, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) – The Lowndes County School District welcomes the new Assistant Superintendents. Matt Keith has accepted the position of Assistant Superintendent of Support Services. Read their bio and introduction below.

Matt Keith has accepted the position of Assistant Superintendent of Support Services following a successful term as New Hope Middle School’s Principal. Mr. Keith has been in education for 16 years, all in the Lowndes County School District. Matt Keith attended Itawamba Community
College from 2002-2004 before transferring to Mississippi State University. Keith graduated from Mississippi State in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. Following graduation, Keith began teaching at New Hope Middle School as a social studies teacher. Along with teaching, Matt Keith was a varsity assistant football coach, middle school assistant football coach, and head middle school baseball coach.. In 2013, Matt Keith graduated from Mississippi University for Women with a Masters degree in Educational Leadership. He served as an assistant principal for New Hope Elementary from 2013-2016, an assistant principal for New Hope Middle 2016-2019 and an assistant principal for New Hope High School for the Fall of 2019. In January 2020, Matt Keith was named the principal of New Hope Middle School. He has done an exemplary job in ensuring the students growth and success as well as pushing New Hope Middle as a whole to their highest potential. Matt Keith has been married to Beth Keith since July 12, 2008. Beth is about to start her 11th year as an educator in Mississippi. Beth teaches Special Education at New Hope Elementary. Beth and Matt have two children Nora Jane Keith and Deacon Merrill Keith. Matt was raised by a family that believed that having an education and being willing to work hard meant anything could be accomplished. Matt Keith’s educational philosophy is based on a growth over goal mindset. He pushes that successful individuals do not fall back, they fall forward. Focusing on growth
provides the opportunity to always fall forward because even in failure a growth focused individual views that failure is successful preparation for the next opportunity. Mr. Keith feels that his greatest contributions are the relationships that he has fostered throughout his years as an educator. He takes the time to invest in his students and their family’s needs. When asked what his goals are for his new position, he shared, “ It is my sincere desire to see the Lowndes County School District continue to grow in a direction that is forward thinking that equally captivates the hearts and minds of our students and staff alike. I believe that my role as Assistant Superintendent of Support Services is to do exactly what the job title states. That is to provide support to what is taking place within our classrooms, on our athletic fields, in our extracurricular programs, and most
importantly within our communities as a unified body.”

Stefanie Jones has accepted the position as Assistant Superintendent of Student Services following a successful term as principal of West Lowndes High School. Mrs. Jones has been in education for 28 years in many roles. Mrs. Jones graduated with her Bachelor’s from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994. She then began teaching at West Point High School before coming to Lowndes County to teach English at West Lowndes High in 2000. In 2010, Mrs. Jones received her Masters from Mississippi University for Women. She served as the Tutor and Assessment Supervisor for Lowndes County School District from 2010-2012. Mrs. Jones began her administrative role in 2012 when she became the assistant principal at New Hope Middle School. In 2016, Mrs. Jones was selected as principal of West Lowndes High School. Mrs. Jones served as principal of West Lowndes High School until May 2022. Mrs. Jones was an exemplary leader for the West Lowndes community that will continue to shine through in her new position. Mrs. Stefanie Jones will be the new Assistant Superintendent for Student Services. The office of student services will include the following departments: Curriculum and Instruction, Federal Programs, and Special Services. The office of student services’ focus is support for teachers and administrators. Mrs. Jones shares, “Because of my love of teaching and for learning, I want to ensure our teachers are prepared to create challenging learning experiences for our students and to create spaces for collaboration among staff to share ideas and contribute to decision-making. Empowering our teachers and strengthening our leadership capacity is essential for us to continue the path of excellence that has led this district to become A-rated.”