LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Dr. Kristy Somerville-Midgette, the new superintendent of Lynchburg City Schools, is setting a course for a successful academic year with a focus on student achievement and well-being.
Somerville-Midgette, who previously taught at E.C. Glass, has introduced five key focus areas for the district.
“The first one is student learning success. That is literally at the core of what we do. Everything that we do here has to be focused on that,” said Somerville-Midgette. “So we’ll be reviewing curriculum and data, student data, just to see where we are, where we’re doing really well, and then if there are opportunities that we need to enhance, we want to be able to do that.”
In addition to student learning, Somerville-Midgette plans to work closely with the school board, improve operational efficiency in departments like human resources and finance, support leadership within the district, and enhance community communication.
The district is also prioritizing student health and safety.
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All students will continue to receive free meals under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
“We want our students and our staff to feel good about being here, and we want to make sure that we take care of those things, because it’s not just teaching the academics, but we do have to make sure we take care of the whole person,” said Somerville-Midgette.
Safety measures are also being reinforced, with Somerville-Midgette meeting local law enforcement to ensure security protocols are up to date. She emphasized the ongoing reassessment of safety and security measures.
Somerville-Midgette expressed her commitment to engaging with students and staff to identify and provide necessary support, aiming for a successful school year ahead.