The Forest Municipal School District is currently seeking a new superintendent to take the reigns as the chief administrator. Dr. Joseph White who has served as Forest Schools Superintendent since July 1, 2012, and after 30 years working in the Mississippi Education System he is set to retire effective June 30.
White, a Columbia native, graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi and began his teaching career in the Petal School System in 1989. He said a lot has changed in the last 30 years but his love and joy of working as an educator and administrator has never wavered. “I have spent 30 wonderful years working in the education system and I would not change a single thing,” he said. “It has all been a great ride that I would not take anything for and I just hope I have made a difference”
Prior to taking the helm at the FMSD White served as superintendent for Philadelphia schools. When he accepted the superintendent position at Forest he said he started with a clear set of goals to achieve. “When I accepted the position here I told the school board what my goals were and that I would not leave until I felt we had accomplished everyone of those goals,” White said. “We have updated the districts technology infrastructure, built a new softball field at the high school, installed air conditioning in the high school gymnasium, expanded classrooms and the cafeteria at the elementary school and made every school in the district safer with new security fences, personnel and cameras. When I tendered my resignation to the school board I told them that I felt we have accomplished everything we set out to do seven years ago.”
White has already purchased a home in the Hattiesburg area and is looking forward to moving closer to his children and grandchildren. “This great ride all started down in that area and now it’s coming full circle,” he said. “I’m looking forward to moving back to what I consider home since I have been gone for what amounts to 30 years. I’m also very excited to be closer to my kids and grandchildren.”
White has seen first hand every facet of the education system from teaching to the top administrator and he believes it was this knowledge that has greatly helped him along the way. “I started out teaching at Petal with hair down to my shoulders dressed in blue jeans and tennis shoes,” he said. “I actually returned to school to earn my master’s degree on a dare and finished it in seven months. After that I had to lose the jeans and cut my hair because I quickly became a middle school principal.”
White said that he has set goals at every stop along the way of his ascension from teacher to school superintendent and that has always served him well. “Every position I had throughout the years I set specific goals and I would start from day one working towards accomplishing each goal I had set,” he said. “Setting goals, even if they may seem unattainable, has always helped me in every position I have held during the last three decades.”
White’s retirement leaves the Forest School Board searching for his replacement and he is hoping that the board is able to find the right administrator sooner rather than later. “I will not be involved with the search and selection process,” White said. “I do hope that they are able to hire someone before I leave so that I can share with them the knowledge I have about our great school district.”
White said that he will always remember his time as superintendent of the FMSC and the progress he believes the district has made over the last seven years. “Man how times flies,” he said. “I will always look back fondly on my time here and I can’t believe the time has gone by so fast. I believe that we have made wonderful progress here in the Forest School District and I’m sure that whoever takes this position will take what we have accomplished and keep building on it.”
The Forest School Board is actively working to hire the next Forest Municipal School District Superintendent.
