MSD of Wayne Township Superintendent Finalist for 2019 National Superintendent of the Year

Dr. Jeff Butts, superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township in Indianapolis, is one of four finalists for the National Superintendent of the Year award.

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) released the names of the finalists for the prestigious award Monday, December 17. The organization will name the National Superintendent of the Year at its National Conference on Education February 14.

 Dr. Butts will travel to Washington, D.C. for final interviews in the competition in January. He and the other finalists will also be part of a news conference at the National Press Club. The three other finalists are superintendents in school districts in Texas, Georgia, and Idaho.

 “I am extremely humbled to be chosen as a finalist for this award,” said Dr. Butts. “This is a reflection of the support I receive every day from our amazing staff and community. I will be very proud to represent the MSD of Wayne Township and Indiana on this national stage, and to share the story of our many successes.”

Earlier this year, the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents named Dr. Butts its 2019 Indiana Superintendent of the Year. He then became a candidate for the AASA’s National Superintendent of the Year award.

 Dr. Butts became the fifth superintendent of the MSD of Wayne Township on the west side of Indianapolis January 1, 2011.  Prior to becoming superintendent, he served as assistant superintendent in MSD Wayne. Before he came to MSD Wayne, Dr. Butts served as a middle school principal in the Tippecanoe School Corporation in Lafayette, Indiana. He has also held administrative or teaching positions in the Delphi Community School Corporation, along with school districts in Illinois.

 Dr. Butts is past president of the IAPSS, and has held numerous other leadership positions as well. He chaired the Superintendent Advisory Group for the Indiana State Board of Education and has served as president of the Indiana Urban Schools Association. He has chaired the YMCA’s Annual Campaign Committee and is chair of Indiana University Partnershare. Dr. Butts is a board member and recruitment chair for the West Side Chamber of Commerce, and has served as vice president of the Indy Gateway Economic Development Corporation.

 His community and civic involvement complements his numerous achievements within the MSD of Wayne Township. During his time in MSD Wayne, Dr. Butts has facilitated strategies that resulted in a 34-percent increase in the district’s graduation rate. He has also overseen the development and opening of Indiana’s first public virtual high school, Achieve Virtual Education Academy. He has collaborated with area colleges to provide more than 27,000 dual college credits each year for the district’s students. In addition, Dr. Butts led the district to the successful passage of a $66.5 million operating referendum designed to continue student supports and services.