After years of controversy, the new Spotsylvania County Schools Superintendent is optimistic about the upcoming school year

SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. — Spotsylvania County Public School students head back to the classroom Monday. School leaders hope that under new leadership, this school year will serve as a fresh start for the district. 

For years, the school district has been embroiled in controversy. From issues like controversial book bans, staff shortages, budget constraints, and contentious school board meetings. 

Dr. Clint M. Mitchell officially started as the new superintendent last week. Mitchell is replacing former superintendent Mark Taylor, who was hired in 2022 despite criticism over his lack of experience in the education field.

"I'm super optimistic. I'm excited, and I can't wait to get into the schools," said Dr. Mitchell. 

The school board announced Mitchell as the new superintendent in June, citing his 19 years of educational leadership experience in Virginia school systems. 

Mitchell left his position as the superintendent of Colonial Beach Public Schools, a position he has held since 2021, where he was nominated for the 2024 Virginia Region 3 Superintendent of the Year, to take the job in Spotsylvania. 

In a one-on-one interview with WUSA9, Dr. Mitchell said his top three priorities are requesting training for the school board, addressing chronic absenteeism, and community engagement. 

"Anyone who knows me knows I'm in the community and out and about. I want people to see me not as an absentee superintendent but as someone who is in the trenches and doing the work," said Dr. Mitchell. 

The new superintendent told WUSA9 that he wants to create a culture where people want to work. That includes providing competitive salaries for teachers. However, the school district is starting another year with a big budget shortfall after the Board of Supervisors did not approve the full funding the school board asked for. 

Dr. Mitchell says he wants to make sure schools are properly funded in the future by improving the relationship between the schools and the board of supervisors. 

"I plan to be at all of their meetings. It's my plan to have those budget meetings in a professional way, and it's my plan to make sure they understand the value of education and the investment in our kids. My job is to be present and work with them side by side," he said. 

The new superintendent says he believes his experience speaks for itself, but wants the community to feel confident that he will make parents and kids a priority moving forward. 

"I want to make sure we are transparent, and most importantly, as leaders, when we make mistakes, what we're going to do is apologize. We're going to take responsibility, and we're going to make sure they understand it's a partnership. I'm going to ask them for grace and to be side by side with me so we can change the trajectory of this district," said Mitchell. 

Dr. Mitchell recently shared his 90-day plan with SCPS employees. Part of that plan includes a number of listening sessions where members of the community can share ideas and input about the future of the school division. All sessions will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.