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Chesterfield appoints new superintendent, deputy

Paula Phounsavath | 1/30/2025, 6 p.m.
The Chesterfield County School Board appointed John Murray as superintendent for Chesterfield County Public Schools during a special meeting last …
John Murray takes the oath of office as superintendent of Chesterfield County Public Schools, joined by his children, Emerson and Grant. Photo courtesy of Chesterfield County Schools

The Chesterfield County School Board appointed John Murray as superintendent for Chesterfield County Public Schools during a special meeting last Thursday, after a months-long nationwide search. 

Murray served as interim superintendent from September to January, following the retirement of former Superintendent Mervin Daugherty on Aug. 31. Daugherty had served CCPS for nearly six years. Murray took the oath of office alongside his children, Emerson and Grant.

“I spent my life in Chesterfield County, so this is a full-circle moment for me,” Murray said in a YouTube public address on Jan. 16. “CCPS is already a well-respected, award-winning school system. I’m proud of that, but there’s more work to do.”

Murray is the first superintendent since 1921 to have been a student at CCPS. He attended Chalkley Elementary School, Jacobs Road Elementary School and Manchester Middle School before graduating from Manchester High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Longwood University, as well as a master’s and doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University. After college, he began his career as a seventh-grade history and language arts teacher at Falling Creek Middle School in 2004 and Robious Middle School in 2006.

In 2011, he became assistant principal at Matoaca Middle School and later served as principal at Carver Middle School in 2015 and Matoaca High School in 2017.

In addition to Murray’s appointment, Lisa High was named deputy superintendent, effective Jan. 27. High, who has held numerous leadership roles in education, joined CCPS in 2019 as the chief of schools.

Before joining CCPS, High began her career in education with Albemarle County Public Schools in 1992. She later served as assistant principal and principal at Spotsylvania County Public Schools beginning in 1999. From 2007 to 2019, High worked in Falls Church City Public Schools in various roles, including human resources director, assistant superintendent for curriculum innovation and personnel, chief academic officer and assistant superintendent for equity and capital programming.