STARKVILLE — Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Eddie Peasant announced Wednesday he will retire from his position June 30 after a 30-year career in education.
Peasant was selected in 2017 as the district’s superintendent. During his five years at SOCSD, he has overseen the completion of the Partnership Middle School on Mississippi State University’s campus, implemented academic houses to provide high school students with career-ready guidance and oversaw the process of a modified school calendar, which will launch during the upcoming school year.
SOCSD Board of Trustees President Sumner Davis said Peasant has emphasized excellence in students every day on the job and continuously found new and innovative ways to improve academic achievement.
“He has done a lot of behind the scenes work to help ensure that our students have the best environment to learn anything that they can,” Davis said. “ … He’s worked very hard to try to engage not only our school community, but the community at large, to answer concerns and questions they might have.”
Serving as the superintendent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Peasant said he is proud SOCSD kept students in the classroom and has seen how the district positively recovered from the challenges the pandemic presented. He said bringing the district forward with 1-to-1 technology, which provided tech devices for every student, enhanced learning districtwide.
Before coming to SOCSD, Peasant served as an assistant superintendent for the Tupelo School District and as Clinton High School’s principal. He was also previously chosen as the Mississippi Administrator of the Year.
“This has been my first opportunity serving as a superintendent for a school district,” Peasant said. “It’s been an amazing learning opportunity for me. I’ve fallen in love with the community and getting to know the people and working closely with all facets of the community, it’s had a great impact on me and my family.”
The process for hiring a new superintendent will begin soon, Davis said.
“We want to obviously have a process that is going to identify quality candidates and receive input from the community at large — parents, faculty, staff, students — as to where we are as a district, what type of individual we are looking for, and we will work through that process judiciously and come out with an excellent candidate when we’re finished,” Davis said.
In his retirement, Peasant plans to pursue a career in higher education, working to continue the development of education in Mississippi.
“I just want to express my gratitude to the community for giving me a great opportunity and for accepting me into it,” Peasant said. “I will hold Starkville and our school district in my heart forever, and I’m forever thankful for the opportunities I have had here.”
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