Biography

Dr. Stanley K. Ellis, Superintendent

The Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees hired Dr. Stanley K. Ellis as the Superintendent in May 2023. Dr. Ellis hit the ground running in June 2023 with the groundbreaking of the historic Hunt High School. As Superintendent, Dr. Ellis plans to rebrand and revitalize CMSD using his background in educational leadership and community engagement. Driven by a deeply rooted determination to help students utilize public education to improve their personal and economic position in society, Dr. Ellis has championed students to have access to a high-quality education as a teacher, school principal, state and regional policy advisor, nonprofit leader, and a director for the alliance for graduate education in Mississippi.

Dr. Ellis previously served as the Coordinator for the Alliance for Graduate Education in Mississippi (STEM) at Jackson State University and the University of California at Santa Barbara. He also has served as an adjunct professor at Northwest Mississippi Community College, University of Mississippi, Southwest Tennessee Community College, Jackson State University, and William Carey University. Throughout his educational career, he has been a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, federal programs director, chief of district operations, director of curriculum assessment and professional development, district test coordinator, Title IX coordinator, hearing officer, human resource director, assistant superintendent of district operations, and now the superintendent of Columbus Municipal School District. He has also served on the state-level advisory teams that help to shape policies and procedures with district accreditation bodies. Dr. Ellis is married and was raised on a small farm in Mississippi; he is the youngest of his siblings. 

He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration and Supervision from Jackson State University; a Master of Arts in Sociology/Counseling from Jackson State University; Master of Leadership in Human Resource Management from Belhaven University; a Bachelor of Social Science from Delta State University and Associate of Arts in Education from Coahoma Community College. He has served on the advisory board of Cognia formerly AdvancED, former board member of a local nonprofit, advisor to Howard University Capstone Institute, advisor for Boys & Girls Club, Toastmasters International advisor, and consultant for Future Farmers of America.