As of July 1, Jeffery Hughes became the new Superintendent of South Eastern School District (SESD). However, Hughes left his position as Principal of Central Manheim High School on June 9, and began training days with then Superintendent Rona Kaufmann.

Together, Hughes and Kauffman completed a total of nine days of transition. These days consisted of meeting with building administrators, as well as other principals and school employees. When asked his opinion of the transition days, Hughes said, “They were a good opportunity to figure out what’s going on, and it allowed me to talk with her and see what she wanted to continue to implement.”

When questioned on his focus as he goes into this school year, Hughes mentioned that his first priority was to fulfill his entry plan. Part of this plan is that within the first 90 days of his tenure as Superintendent, he would like to learn and understand how the district operates. Getting to know the student body, as well as the community are also part of his 90 day plan.

In order to achieve these goals, Hughes has begun to set up dates and times to meet with the community and school staff. He has started to attend the monthly borough and township meetings. Hughes has also set up times at each of the school buildings to do walk throughs; at those times he hopes to have a brief greeting with each teacher. In order to reach out with the general public, he plans to attend community events like football games and other school functions including the art show at the Mason Dixon library on September 15.

Hughes reinforced the fact that he wants to be visible in the district by saying that he would gladly accept student invitations to events. He commented that he would like to be so involved because “I want to be the face, the cheerleader of SESD.”

When questioned why he took the position of Superintendent, he said that it was done with a lot of consideration. He stated, “I wanted to find a district that I connected with.”

When asked what he was looking for in a school district, he said that he wanted a district that was rural and had strong values, as well as a district that mirrored some of the things that he believed in personally.

As for a position at York or Suburban, he stated that he would not have considered applying for them. He went on to say that he loves this district, and he loves the genuine nature of its people.

The large agriculture program is part of what attracted him to the school district. As for an overall comment on the school district, he said, “Everything I see, I grow more and more enamored, it’s just fantastic.”

When asked what he would like to see changed in the district, Hughes stated, “I really want the climate of the district to become positive, we’re all in this together.”

In addition to a positive climate, Hughes is a large supporter of individualized learning programs, and he believes that the future of education is continually moving towards further personalizing education.

The use of technology helps with this, allowing students to take personalized courses that meet what they need and what they want to learn. Hughes commented, “schools will look different ten years from now, and it’s due to personalized learning.”

As for student athletics and the arts, he stated that he believes that they are important for keeping students interested in school, as well as keeping up school spirit.

Oh, and of course, his favorite colors are blue and gold.