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Pine Bluff School District Assistant Superintendent Jonathan Crossley is headed to Hope for his first superintendency.
Crossley accepted an offer from Hope Public Schools to succeed Bobby Hart as the district's chief following a special board meeting Tuesday. Hart has been named superintendent in the Searcy School District.
Crossley, who has worked in Pine Bluff schools for the past two years, will begin his new role July 1.
"I love Pine Bluff and I love being in Pine Bluff, but this opportunity to be a head superintendent and lead efforts for an entire school district is something I couldn't pass up," Crossley said. "I feel honored and privileged to be the person selected. I will take the experiences and lessons I learned to Hope with me."
A South Carolina native, Crossley became a consultant for the Office of Coordinated Support and Services for Pine Bluff schools in 2018, the year the district was taken over by the Arkansas Department of Education. He recently obtained a doctorate in education from Arkansas Tech University, to go along with a baccalaureate in political science from the University of South Carolina and master's degree from Arkansas Tech.
The first to attain a four-year college degree in his family, Crossley came to Arkansas as a Teach for America teacher, beginning a teaching and basketball coaching career in the Palestine-Wheatley School District.
"I was going to be a lawyer, then ended up realizing I wanted to be in the classroom because I had teachers who changed my life and provided a better outcome for me," Crossley said.
The career choice paid off. Crossley became a principal and leadership fellow in the Little Rock School District before joining Pine Bluff schools.
"Dr. Crossley has been a blessing to the Pine Bluff School District and will be greatly missed," Pine Bluff schools Superintendent Barbara Warren said. "I truly believe he genuinely cares for the students and staff of this district, and he demonstrated that dedication every day. I personally will miss his infectious positive energy and spirit. It is a loss for us but a great gain in Hope."
Now, Crossley is excited about what he calls "a big opportunity" to lead the Hope district.
"I believe they have a lot of innovative programs and hope they have a trajectory of excellence," Crossley said. "They have great staff members and students. I was able to meet some of them during an all-day interview. I believe the community rallies around their local schools and I want to be a part of what they are building down there, building programs where kids can graduate with associate's degrees and expand that and all other opportunities for all kids."
