Springfield Public Schools District 186 will be heading into the new school year with a new superintendent.
Dr. Terrence Jordan has taken over from Jennifer Gill after her retirement this summer following 12 years in the role. He officially became superintendent on July 1.
Jordan said he wanted to get into the education business because of his own experiences in school. Growing up in rural Mississippi, he said, he did not have the highest quality education.
“When I got into education, I was determined to make sure that kids’ experiences were not like mine and were better,” he said.
Jordan has held several positions over 24 years with the district before becoming superintendent, most recently as assistant superintendent of family, community and school leadership.
He credited that time with showing him the importance of each role in the district.
“That’s one of my goals, is to let people know and to make sure that our support staff know that they are needed and valuable in the lives of our students,” he said.
Jordan says some of the issues he wants to tackle in the new role include maintaining a balanced budget and ensuring student safety.
By the time the 2026-27 school year is over, Jordan said he hopes that both students and faculty have had “the best year of their lives in our system.”
The District 186 school year begins Aug. 24.
