Ocean Springs superintendent Dr. Bonita Coleman announces retirement

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - Ocean Springs School District’s superintendent, Dr. Bonita Coleman, has announced plans to retire following the conclusion of the 2022-2023 school year.

“Dr. Coleman has led OSSD for the past 10 years, navigating the district through COVID-19 and natural disasters, and oversaw OSSD become one of the state leaders in academic achievement,” the school district said in a press release.

Dr. Coleman also shared her thoughts in the release.

“We all know that there are seasons to life and as I close this chapter and enter retirement on July 1, 2023, I will forever be grateful to OSSD, and the community of Ocean Springs, for welcoming me with open arms and showing me what it means to be a Greyhound,” Coleman said. “This district has been my greatest joy and I am so proud of the efforts that we have made for our children.”

Dr. Coleman was appointed superintendent in June of 2012 and has served the Ocean Springs community for over 10 years. Prior to joining Greyhound Nation, Dr. Coleman served as duty Superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, where she helped lead the nation’s 18th-largest school district.

Joe Cloyd, OSSD Board of Trustees President, says Dr. Coleman has been an incredible asset of OSSD and the Ocean Springs community in the last decade.

“Her strong leadership and advocacy for the children guided our district to consistently being one of the top-performing school districts in the state,” Cloyd said. “She will be incredibly missed and we wish her a relaxing retirement.”

Under Dr. Coleman’s leadership, the Ocean Springs School District has maintained an A rating for nine consecutive years, was ranked #2 in the state of Mississippi for accountability and high performance, and has been recognized worldwide for excellence in academics, arts, and athletics.

During her tenure, all OSSD schools have grown to an “A” rating from MDE, and have held that rating for more than four years.

With more than 25 years in public education, she has served as a K-12 teacher, visiting professor, and scholar at several universities. Dr. Coleman served several years as the associate state superintendent for academics for the Mississippi Department of Education. She is a member of the State Superintendent of Education’s Superintendents Advisory Council, the Mississippi Superintendents Collaborative, and the Mississippi Diverse and Learner Ready Council.

A native Mississippian, Dr. Coleman graduated from Tougaloo College, earned a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from Jackson State University. She is also a graduate of the Broad Superintendent’s Academy. Her son, Chandler, is a 2016 graduate of Ocean Springs School District, a 2020 graduate of the University of South Alabama’s healthcare administration program, and works in healthcare in San Antonio.

Upon her retirement on July 1st, 2023, Coleman plans to move home to the Jackson area to be closer to family.

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