Lancaster ISD is pleased to announce Dr. Demeka Simmons as the new principal of Barack and Michelle Obama 9th Grade Campus (BAMO). Simmons will take the helm at BAMO as Nakesha Reddick transitions to the district’s sixth-grade campus this coming school year.
Dr. Simmons has held administrative positions in education over the past seven years. Before joining Lancaster ISD, Simmons served as a principal in Manor Independent School District.
“I am blessed, excited, and honored to be joining the Lancaster Independent School District family,” said Simmons. “After meeting with the superintendent and central office staff, the campus staff, and some of the students, I’m eager to see what the future holds. I’m ready to continue working as a collective group from teachers and staff to parents and stakeholders to ensure we are creating opportunities that will allow our scholars to achieve success.”
Simmons has also served as an assistant principal in Marlin, Huntsville, and Houston Independent School Districts. During her time at Marlin ISD, Dr. Simmons developed an online model for student learning and evaluation during national emergencies, improved daily student attendance from 75% to 93% with a new discipline management system, and closed achievement gaps within the Special Education student population by nine percent from the beginning-of-the-year assessment to the middle-of-the-year assessment.
Dr. Simmons was the Texas Council of Women School Executive 2020 Bravo Recipient, the 2019 TABSE Assistant Principal of the Year, the Aldine ISD 2015 Milers Award recipient, and was a 2014 State Board of Education Committee Member.
Lancaster ISD Superintendent, Dr. A. Katrise Perera, is looking forward to Dr. Simmons joining the Tiger Family.
“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Simmons to Lancaster ISD and look forward to her leading our 9th-grade campus,” said Perera. “Her energy coupled with her experience in increasing student attendance and school culture will be the perfect fit for our campus.”
Dr. Simmons earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from Mountain State University. She also earned her Master of Education Certification from Lamar University and her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Texas Southern University.