Dale Ellis

Dr. Richard "Dale" Ellis has served as the Superintendent of Montgomery County Schools since 2010. He brings over seventeen years of senior-level leadership experience to the district.

As Superintendent, Dr. Ellis' dedication to several significant initiatives has driven student success to support the school system's vision of graduating life-ready, globally competitive students. Under his leadership, the district has achieved a historic high graduation rate of 92.3%, a historic low dropout rate, and increased Career and Technical Education offerings, as well as significantly expanded offerings in Community College courses.

Dr. Ellis' leadership has been the driving force behind many accomplishments for the district. He led the achievement of 100% of schools meeting or exceeding expected growth for the first time in the district's history. He advocated for the passage of a 5-cent property tax increase to fund educational facilities. He has secured millions of dollars in grant funding for the district. Such funds were instrumental in the implementation of the 1:1 initiative, providing a device for all K-12 students.

His vision for providing the best educational opportunities for all students has come to fruition through the implementation of the Montgomery County Early College along with the completion of the Joseph Reese Blair Career and Technical Education Building and the consolidation of the two high schools into Montgomery Central High School. The location of these buildings in close proximity to Montgomery Community College has created a brand-new, state-of-the-art education complex for students.

Dr. Ellis forged a strong partnership with FirstHealth, which has led to the School-Based Health Centers' constructing permanent facilities at our middle schools and high school. Dental centers have also been built at the middle schools to provide high-quality dental services to students. The partnership with the FirstHealth Foundation led the way for implementing The Daily Mile program at the elementary schools. Montgomery County Schools is the first district in the United States to implement this program that provides walking tracks for students to walk daily for 15 minutes.

Understanding the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Ellis’ implemented a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force comprised of district leaders and community leaders. The group meets quarterly to review the districts’ goals to ensure all students achieve at the highest level possible.

In the community, Dr. Ellis serves on the Communities in Schools Board of Directors and currently serves as the president for the Rotary Club of Troy.

Dr. Ellis holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Appalachian State University and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resource Management from Gardner-Webb University. He received his bachelor's degree in History and Secondary Education from Appalachian State University.

Dr. Ellis and his wife, Alisha, have been married for 23 years and have three wonderful children, Gabriel, Baylee, and Chloe.