Bio of Superintendent Dr. Jeff Butts

Dr. Jeff Butts is a proud graduate of Millikin University (BS), Illinois State University (MS), and Purdue University (PhD). He began his career as a public educator in 1992 in central Illinois. Over the past 29 years he has held positions as a bus driver, coach, teacher, athletic director, principal, assistant superintendent, and now superintendent. He became the fifth superintendent in the history of the M.S.D. of Wayne Township on January 1, 2011. Dr. Butts is currently a Broad Fellow Candidate at the Yale School of Management. He is the 2019 AASA National Superintendent of the Year Runner-up, and a recipient of the 2019 IAPSS Indiana Superintendent of the Year, Ed Tech Digital Trailblazer Award from Indiana COSN, Administrator of the Year from the Indiana High School Press Association, the Indiana Council for Exceptional Children Advocate of the Year, Minority Police Officers Association Award for Outstanding Work in the Community, Cause Driven Leadership Award from the YMCA, Indiana National Guard Awards for Exceptional Support to the Community, The Center for Digital Education Digital Content and Curriculum Achievement Award, Hobson’s Education Advances Award, the Center for Digital Education Top 30 Technologists, Transformers and Trailblazers, and District V Principal of the Year from the Indiana Association of School Principals.

Dr. Butts has held many leadership positions in the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, past board chair with the Hendricks Regional Health (HRH) YMCA, president of the Indiana Partnershare, and past president for the Indiana Urban Schools Association (IUSA). He was selected to serve on the transition team for Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, and served on several advisory committees with the Indiana Department of Education. Dr. Butts is currently a member of the Indiana University Education Law Advisory Board, ParentSquare Advisory Council, and Purdue University Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Advisory Board. He also serves as the West Central Joint Services President, HRH YMCA Emeritus Board Chair, board chair for the Emergency Services Education Center, treasurer for IUSA, a board member for the West Side Chamber of Commerce, board member for Indy Gateway Inc., committee member on the 2022 College Football Playoff – Indianapolis Host Committee, advisory board member for Safe Hiring Solution, member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s Diversity Task Force, member of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee Race and Cultural Relations Leadership Network, and Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative Issue Management Committee Member. He is a co-facilitator and presenter for EPIC, a groundbreaking leadership excellence program for Indiana’s public school superintendents through Butler University and the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, in collaboration with the College of Education and the Lacy School of Business. He is a mentor in the Indiana Aspiring Superintendent Academy. Dr. Butts previously served as an executive committee member for the Central Indiana Education Alliance, executive committee member for the Indiana Public Schools Study Council, and the Urban Education Excellence Advisory Council. In addition, Dr. Butts holds memberships with the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, Midwest Suburban Superintendents Association, Northern Indiana Superintendents Association, American Association of School Administrators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Phi Delta Kappa, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Indiana Association of School Principals, and Lions Clubs International. He has served as honorary co-chair of the UNCF Masked Ball since 2014 and served on the local planning team for the National Council for the Education of Black Children National Conference. He was honored to serve on the 2019 National Urban League Annual Conference and National Youth Leadership Summit Planning Committee held in Indianapolis. He is proud to be selected in the first cohort of the Marvelous Potential Program, an Indianapolis program of the Kennedy King Memorial Initiative.

His wife, Tammy, is a retired teacher. A little-known fact about Dr. Butts is he is a fourth generation Standardbred horse trainer.