Dr. Bonita Jamison Named Next Permanent MRH Superintendent

From the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District:

January 13, 2021

The Maplewood Richmond Heights School District Board of Education is pleased to announce that Bonita E. Jamison, Ed.D, will become the next permanent superintendent of schools. Dr. Jamison comes to MRH from the Ferguson-Florissant School District, where she currently serves as the Executive Director of Integrated Supports and Accelerated Learning. She brings with her more than 19 years of experience in urban, suburban and charter school districts. Her first official day at the helm of MRH will be July 1, 2021.

The MRH Board of Education is planning multiple public opportunities to engage with Dr. Jamison in the coming months.

“My desire to become the next superintendent of Maplewood Richmond Heights can be summarized in one word: community,” said Dr. Jamison. “It would be an honor to serve as a member of a community where all constituencies -- parents, families, teachers, community partners, school and district administrators -- interface more as a family than as an institution to provide a laser focus on student achievement. This alignment epitomizes what I feel to be a critical, and often missing, element in most public school systems. It is refreshing to find a district which institutionalizes the statement “It takes a whole village to raise a child” in such a collegial and collaborative way with strong commitments to both equity and student achievement.”

“Dr. Jamison is a proven, skilled leader who places a high priority on student achievement,” said MRH Board President Katie Kaufmann. “During the search process, she impressed us time and time again with her commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion across all groups.”

MRH Acting Superintendent Roxanna Mechem added, “Dr. Jamison is a great fit for MRH! We believe she is the right person to support our educational mission of preparing our students as tomorrow’s leaders, scholars, stewards and citizens. We know that she will also help MRH sustain its strong sense of community by fostering stakeholder partnerships and increasing family engagement.”

Dr. Jamison earned her Doctor of Education degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2017, her Education Specialist degree from Mizzou in 2007, her Masters of Educational Administration from Lindenwood University in 2006 and her Bachelor of Arts in Education degree from St. Louis University in 2002. Prior to Ferguson-Florissant, Dr. Jamison worked at Open Sky Education charter school, Riverview Gardens School District, Jennings School District, University City School District and St. Louis Public Schools.

Dr. Jamison succeeds Dr. Karen I. Hall as MRH superintendent. Dr. Hall announced her retirement last summer following a 13-year career at Maplewood Richmond Heights.

This press release was produced by the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District. The views expressed are the author's own.