Dr. James Merrill

Over the course of a 37-year career in public education, Dr. James G. Merrill has established himself as an innovative, effective, and forward-thinking leader. His overriding mission is to ensure that all students graduate with the skills they need to succeed as 21st century learners, workers, and citizens. To this end, he has spearheaded the creation and implementation of an innovative strategic plan, Compass to 2015: A Strategic Plan for Student Success.

Dr. Merrill was named superintendent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, the third largest school division in Virginia, in 2006. He has strategically developed and sustained an operating budget far exceeding a half billion dollars in the face of difficult economic times as well as facilitated a long-range plan for improving school facilities. Through his understanding of complex school system issues and emphasis on positive relationship building he has improved levels of parental involvement, especially with underserved populations and instituted innovative technology across the division, including whiteboards; an electronic grade book; AlertNow, an information and emergency notification system; and VBCPS Parent Portal, a powerful online tool that allows parents/guardians to monitor their children’s progress in school.

Dr. Merrill began his career in education in 1973 in North Carolina as an English teacher; and moved through the administrative ranks in several North Carolina school divisions, spending 15 years in Wake County before becoming superintendent of the Alamance-Burlington School System in 2000. As a result of Dr. Merrill’s outstanding record as an educator, he was named the 2005 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year by the North Carolina School Boards Association and the North Carolina Association of School Administrators. In that same year, he also was awarded the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Education’s Outstanding Achievement Award as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education’s Distinguished Leadership Award.