Superintendent Terri Holden announced Thursday, March 13, that she will retire in May 2026; on Thursday, March 14, the school board approved the hiring of Megan Winston, current principal of Mills Lawn, as superintendent following Holden's retirement. (Photo courtesy of YS Schools)
Holden to retire; Winston named next superintendent
- Published: March 14, 2025
ED. NOTE: This story was updated for the March 21 print edition of the News.
After what will be seven years at the helm of YS Schools, Superintendent Terri Holden will retire from service in May 2026. Megan Winston, current principal of Mills Lawn Elementary School, will step into the position upon Holden’s retirement.
Holden announced her retirement at the school board’s regular monthly meeting Thursday, March 13, saying that it has “truly been an honor” to serve YS Schools.
“I’ve met many incredible people, and I’m committed to this district and everything we have going on, so thank you for trusting me,” she said.
The board unanimously voted to accept Holden’s notice of intent to retire — preceded by a chorus of gratitude and well-wishes for Holden from the school board members.
Highlighted were Holden’s work in leading the district through a number of challenges: the switch to remote learning during the first years of the COVID pandemic and mitigation efforts to keep students and staff well after they returned to in-person learning; the implementation of a new strategic plan for the district; and the now-underway facilities upgrades project, which broke ground last month.
“It is with deep appreciation we reflect upon the service that you have shown to this district,” Board President Rebecca Potter said. “The years serving this district have been demanding, and it has not gone unnoticed by any member of this board how [your] dedication has come through in many ways.”
Each of the board members shared their own thanks in turn — and member Amy Bailey’s thanks that evening hinted at a path forward for the district in choosing Holden’s successor.
“This person will have big shoes to fill and high expectations to meet,” Bailey said. “Not all districts have the opportunity for a seamless transition — but fortunately, we have an internal candidate who is more than qualified.”
Following an executive session during a special meeting Friday morning, March 14, the board again unanimously voted — this time, in favor of hiring Winston, first as interim assistant superintendent for the final year of Holden’s tenure, and then as superintendent after Holden retires.
Before the board made its vote, Potter hailed Winston as an “exceptional candidate” for superintendent, and said the school board believes she will bring to the position a “set of assets that we need to take advantage of in this time of transition.”
“This sets us up for success in a smooth transition as Dr. Holden moves into retirement,” Potter said. “The largest facilities project in this district’s history … is on track, and it is on budget. To maintain that trajectory, we need to make sure that there are no disruptions in our administrative staff at the highest level. It also sets us up for success in implementing the changes that this facilities project enables, particularly establishing pre-K education — and Dr. Holden will work with Ms. Winston to do just that. … The board believes that this is the best decision for the district.”
Winston, who grew up in neighboring Xenia, came to the district as Mills Lawn principal in 2021 after five years as an assistant principal at Xenia High School. Before that, she served as a math teacher at Beavercreek High School and in administrative positions in the Dayton Public Schools system, including five years as principal of Horace Mann Pre-K–8 School.
In accepting her position as future superintendent, Winston thanked her parents, Eric and Karen Winston, and Dayton Public Schools Superintendent David Lawrence — all of whom were present for the special meeting — for their guidance over the years. She also thanked Holden, who she said began “showing [her] the ropes” of the superintendent role as soon as Winston came to the district.
“I am always going to owe Terri Holden,” Winston said. “So thank you so much for making this possible.”
Holden will continue to serve as superintendent until May 31, 2026. Winston will serve as interim assistant superintendent Aug. 1, 2025–May 31, 2026; as interim superintendent June 1–July 31, 2026; and will begin serving as superintendent Aug. 1, 2026.
In other school board news—
The school board approved two resolutions, urging the Ohio School Boards Association to amend its Legislative Platform, a public document outlining the OSBA’s position on a number of legislative issues regarding public education. The resolutions call for the OSBA to add language to the Legislative Platform that supports “increased and sustainable funding for special education” and a “universal school meals program in Ohio.”
The school board points out in one resolution that Ohio ranks last in the nation in funding special education, allotting 8.1% of its education budget to special education, compared to higher-ranking states like Connecticut, which allocates 21.6%.
“This chronic underfunding forces school districts to divert general education funds, rely on local taxpayers or leave students underserved, jeopardizing compliance with federal mandates and limiting educational opportunities for students with disabilities,” the resolution reads.
A second resolution nods to the fact that the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee is in talks to reduce funding for its school breakfast and lunch programs by $3 billion. The Ohio Capital Journal reported in January that more than 280,000 Ohio public school students could be affected by the cuts, based on data from the Food Research and Action Center.
The resolution states: “Universal free meal programs have demonstrated significant benefits, including improved student nutrition, elimination of stigma associated with free meals, increased participation in school meal programs and enhanced academic performance.”
Last year, Ohio Democrats introduced House Bill 408, which would require schools to provide a meal to students upon request, “regardless of whether a student has money to pay for a meal or owes money for earlier meals.” In February, the school board co-signed a letter to Republican State Sen. Kyle Koehler, urging him to get behind the bill, which has been in committee since April 2, 2024.
Koehler responded to the letter this month, citing the “ever-increasing costs associated with providing for our citizens the things that were once considered a requirement of parents in our communities.”
“Free school breakfasts and lunches are definitely one of those things,” Koehler wrote. “While I cannot deny that having well-fed students makes all the difference in the world on how a student performs, I have to think at what point do we draw a line?”
Koehler added: “I cannot justify telling the state and federal government that we need to feed all school children and then argue about why we can’t find the funds to actually educate children and replace crumbly school buildings.”
The Yellow Springs News encourages respectful discussion of this article.
You must login to post a comment.
Don't have a login? Register for a free YSNews.com account.
No comments yet for this article.