Kosciusko School District Superintendent Billy Ellzey has been named the new superintendent of the Pascagoula-Gautier School District. The final decision was announced by PGSD on Monday, April 11, 2022, after the search had previously been narrowed down to two candidates: Ellzey and Ocean Springs School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Christopher Williams.
Ellzey has been the superintendent of Kosciusko since 2017. He told The Star-Herald he is proud to have seen the district’s accountability continue to grow and provide more opportunities to students.
“I think, as a school district, we've grown. Our accountability grade has gone up during that time. We’ve provided more opportunities for students with things such as volleyball and archery, and we continued a great tradition of a Pre-K program,” he said. “The entire time over the course I've been here has been great.”
Ellzey said some of his favorite memories as superintendent include seeing schools improve overall in academics and achieve high success through athletics.
“Some of my favorite memories are seeing our elementary and junior high schools improve letter grades, as they really work so hard to meet those demands of bringing great education to our students,” he said. “Also, seeing our teams compete and do so well — state championships in fastpitch softball, individual championships in track, and band winning the marching state championship during my time here have all been great accomplishments. I'm very proud to be a part of and see the overall growth of our students and our people that work in our district.”
Ellzey said Kosciusko schools are filled with leaders who strive for success, and he feels confident that the district will be successful following his departure.
“The district was successful before I got here. It’s a great place to be and will continue to be successful,” said Ellzey. “We have many great people here, and they will continue to drive and make the Kosciusko School District successful as it always has been.”
Ellzey’s advice to the next Kosciusko superintendent, currently unknown, would be to embrace the community and staff.
“Just embrace the community and staff. It’s a great place to be, and if you'll embrace the community and staff, they will support you and you will have a lot of success here.”
Ellzey told The Star-Herald that he is excited to begin his new position on the Mississippi coast.
“I'm excited about the opportunity to lead a district of larger size and hopefully have an influence on more people working together with students, parents, community, and staff,” he said. “That school district already has a great history and rich tradition.”
Kosciusko School Board President James Medders said the district will soon begin the process of searching for its next superintendent. Declining to comment on Ellzey’s tenure, Medders said the search will focus on candidates that will be good for the community and continue success.
“We are going to look at our different options of the hiring process and see which way is best to go,” said Medders. “We (will) look for someone that is going to be good for the community and keep our school district one of the best in the state.”
