Wayne Township superintendent Jeff Butts will retire from school district

Longtime Wayne Township Superintendent Jeff Butts will retire from district leadership in January.

The west Indianapolis school corporation announced his decision in a news release Thursday.

Butts plans to retire on Jan. 4 and will begin a new role as executive director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents the following day.

The superintendent has led Wayne Township — home to Ben Davis High School — for 14 years. The district’s school board will develop a superintendent search process in the coming months, according to the news release.

“We are incredibly proud of Superintendent Dr. Jeff Butts and grateful for the dedicated leadership he has provided our district,” Brandon Bowman, board president of Wayne Township schools, said in the release.

Butts has long been involved in the school superintendents association, serving as a president, committee chair and mentor within the group.

“Serving this district has been the honor of a lifetime,” Butts said in the district’s news release. “The work we’ve done together — with educators, students, families and community partners — has been transformative.” 

Butts will succeed the association’s outgoing executive director, Robert Taylor, who has announced his own plans to retire after nearly five years in the leadership role.

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Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.