Lassiter Appointed PCS Superintendent

Dr. Steve M. Lassiter Jr. has been appointed Pitt County Schools Superintendent, effective immediately, following a unanimous vote by the nine-member Board of Education during a Special Called Board Meeting prior to its regularly scheduled monthly session Monday night.

Lassiter, who assumed the district's top leadership duties as interim superintendent on a month-by-month basis beginning August 1, formally succeeds superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker following the latter's retirement after 11 years of service.

The Board and Lassiter agreed to terms on a four-year contract that extends through June 30, 2028.

"I deeply value this opportunity to serve this extraordinary district and community, each that has been home and had a profound influence in my development as an educator," Lassiter said. "It is also a reminder to me of the marked responsibility that comes with this position of leadership, one that I accept and fully embrace. I am grateful to the Pitt County Board of Education for its enduring support and confidence in my abilities.

“It is an honor to have the privilege of continuing to work collaboratively with our teachers, administrators, staff and families as it is a vital component to our ultimate goal helping students grow and develop into lifelong learners."

Prior to his three-month interim role, Lassiter was promoted to deputy superintendent April 8 in an effort to provide stability and continuity during the leadership transition. He also held previous positions within the county for a collective 15 years that include assistant superintendent for education programs and services (2018-2024), principal, assistant principal and teacher.

In addition to his tenure in Pitt County, Lassiter spent two years (2016-18) as an assistant superintendent in the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools system and one (2012-13) in Martin County as a principal to account for his 18-year career as an educator.

Before providing successful curriculum and instruction oversight, and spearheading professional development for a district of 24,000-plus students and 3,000-plus employees with PCS, he supplied leadership to all operational aspects of human resources, transportation, child nutrition and maintenance departments during a two-year central office tenure in Elizabeth City.

Lassiter, 43, earned National Distinguished Principal designation and Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year honors in 2015 while heading Pactolus School. He was credited with implementing Professional Learning Communities across the all content areas and securing $35,000 in recurring funds for afterschool programs, which helped reduce teacher turnover rate by 50 percent in one year. Additionally, Pactolus was named a Model Positive Behavior and Intervention Support School through his award-winning efforts. Lassiter also served as assistant principal there for two years before accepting his first top on-campus leadership role at Martin County's Edna Andrews Elementary School, which was recognized as a "Reward School" by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in 2012-13.

He began his educational career in PCS classrooms, teaching fifth grade at W.H. Robinson Elementary School and sixth-grade science, social studies and language arts at E.B. Aycock Middle School.

Included among many of his other honors spanning back to 2004, were recent selections to the ECU College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership Advisory Council and North Carolina Cognia Advisory Committee in 2023. He was also a recipient of the 2024 First Bank Out of this World Educator Award.

Lassiter currently serves on the North Carolina Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development Board, North Carolina Science, Technology Education Center Board of Directors and Education North Carolina Board of Directors. He also served as a North Carolina Governor Appointee to the Pitt Community College Board of Trustees prior to the completion of his term on June 30, 2024.

An oft-requested speaker and presenter at national, regional and state leadership, professional development and curriculum conferences, Lassiter's innovative expertise has also been featured in three educational publications.

An Edenton native, Lassiter received his bachelor's degree in elementary education from East Carolina University in 2004 before following with a master’s degree in school administration from ECU in 2010. He completed a doctorate in educational administration and supervision from North Carolina State University in 2019.

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PITT COUNTY SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION STATEMENT
"The Board's primary objective during this change of leadership was not only to ensure a seamless transition, but also to identify an individual who would be in a position to enhance our district's strengths, culture and values, while also understanding the challenges that are distinctively unique to us. Upon his appointment as interim superintendent, Dr. Lassiter was tasked to meet the needs of our school system and community that was subject to evaluation on a month-by-month basis. It is of the unanimous opinion of the Board that Dr. Lassiter performed those duties in an exemplary manner, displaying the quality, characteristics and skills to formally remove the interim title and serve as our next superintendent.

Dr. Lassiter's impeccable credentials as an educator, instructional leader and administrator are held in high regard throughout the state of North Carolina and nationally, and we are confident our students and employees will continue to thrive and reach new heights under his leadership."

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HISTORY OF PITT COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS (years)
Josephus Lathum - 1883-1889 (6)
Henry Harding - 1889-1892 (3)
George B. King - 1892-1894 (2)
William H. Ragsdale - 1894-1897 and 1899-1914 (18)
James R. Tingle - 1897-1899 (2)
Sam B. Underwood - 1914-1921 (7)
Robert G. Fitzgerald - 1921-1932 (11) - Pitt County Schools*
Junious H. Rose - 1920-1967 (47) - Greenville City Schools*
Donald Conley - 1932-1965 (33) - Pitt County Schools*
Arthur S. “Ott” Alford - 1965-1982 (17)
Dr. Edward West - 1982-1990 (8)
Dr. Emmett Floyd - 1990-1992 (2)
Dr. Howard Sosne - 1992-2000 (8)
Dr. Michael Priddy - 2000-2005 (5)
Dr. Beverly Emory - 2005-2013 (8)
Dr. Ethan Lenker - 2013-2024 (11)
Dr. Steve M. Lassiter Jr. - 2024-