Passing the Torch

New Superintendent for Lancaster City Schools

Passing+the+Torch

David Bui, Online Website Editor

Lancaster City Schools Director of Human Resources, Nathan Hale, has been named as the new superintendent of the district.  Hale will replace Steve Wigton, the current superintendent who is retiring this year. Hale described how he feels about being promoted to superintendent.

LHS’s new superintendent, Mr. Hale. Image courtesy of Lancaster Schools – YouTube.

“I am beyond excited. Lancaster is my hometown and I have worked here my entire career. To have the opportunity to lead the district is something that I have worked very hard to achieve and I can’t wait to begin,” Hale said.

The LCS Board of Education stated in a press release, that dozens of candidates from across the country applied for the position and that the board conducted an extensive interview process.

“Mr. Hale was far and away the best candidate for this critical role. We know he will see the district’s strategic plan through to completion, build upon the foundation of success Mr. Wigton created, and take the district to new levels of achievement” said Amy Eyman, president of the LCS Board of Education.

“We are in the final stages of our building construction process and the opportunity to help, plan, design, and build the new Lancaster High School is going to be extraordinary. This new facility will help change our community and complete a process that we have been working on for over 10 years,” he said.

“I am also very excited about the instructional changes that we have used during this year that we can continue into the future. We have made great progress in utilizing technology and online resources to support student learning. I want to make sure we hold onto the professional learning that we have gained over the last 12 months.”

LCS Board of Education President, Amy Eyman. Photo courtesy of LCS.

As LCS continues to move forward, Hale outlined his vision with regard to the district’s mission as the place to be for learning, caring, and succeeding. 

“My vision is to move these ideas forward through our Portrait of a Graduate,” he said. 

“We have developed a framework of skills that outline what we believe a student in the Lancaster City Schools should be able to master by the time they graduate. I want to make sure that our community is engaged in making this happen for our kids,” he explained.

In fact, making sure that students are getting what they need is the primary reason that he went into education.  He began coaching baseball in the Lancaster area and found a real passion for working with kids, helping them learn new skills, and become successful.

“I decided that becoming a teacher was a way that I could use this experience and move into a new career. I went back to school to earn my education degree and it has been the best professional decision I have ever made,” he said.

Hale’s professional credentials include a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the Ohio State University, a Bachelor’s Degree from Ohio University in Education, and a Master’s Degree from Ohio University in Educational Leadership. Hale has been with the district since 1996 and has worked in every building within the district.