Indian River School District Names New Superintendent

Mark Steele (Photo: Indian River School District)

SELBYVILLE, Md.- The Indian River Board of Education has appointed Mark Steele as the district’s permanent superintendent.

During the board's regular monthly meeting on Monday, Steele was named to the post and signed to a two-year contract effective through June 30, 2019.

Steele had been serving in an interim capacity since Jan. 26, when previous Superintendent Susan Bunting left the district to become Delaware’s secretary of education. He is Indian River’s sixth superintendent since the formation of the school district in 1969.

“As I’ve stated previously, I am committed to being a community superintendent," Steele said. "I pledge to be open and accessible and will strive for transparency in all district operations. Our staff will continue to work tirelessly to provide IRSD students with the best educational programs in the State of Delaware.”

Steele has been a teacher and administrator in the Indian River School District since 1981. His employment history with the district is as follows:

Math and physics teacher, Indian River High School  

9/1/81 – 10/13/91

Assistant Principal, Indian River High School                       

10/14/91 – 1/31/99

Principal, Indian River High School                                       

2/1/99 – 6/30/13

IRSD Assistant Superintendent                                             

7/1/13 – 1/25/17

IRSD Superintendent                                                             

1/26/17 – Present 

Steele said he has enjoyed serving the IRSD community in various capacities during the past 36 years and is excited about his future with the district.

Our residents recently approved a current expense referendum that was critical to the future of the school district," he said. "I again want to thank the public for its support and reiterate our commitment to spending the money wisely. It is truly humbling to see this level of caring from our community.

Steele said that despite the passage of the referendum, challenges still lie ahead due to proposed reductions in state funding for education.

"The administration and Board of Education are committed to addressing these budget cuts in a manner that has the least possible impact on classroom instruction," he said. "A variety of options will be considered in the coming weeks and months as we prepare the district’s budget for Fiscal Year 2018. Our parents and community members deserve this level of commitment and I look forward to working my hardest for the students of the Indian River School District.”

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