Champaign Unit 4 School District names Dr. Geovanny Ponce new Superintendent

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - The Champaign Unit 4 School District has named Dr. Geovanny Ponce their new Superintendent.

Following a nation-wide search and review of 31 applicants, the Champaign Unit 4 School District School Board announced Ponce as the Superintendent of the Champaign Unit 4 School District.

Ponce has spent more than two decades in public education.

The District said Ponce grew up in poverty in Honduras. Most recently, he served as Chief of Schools in Fairfax County Public Schools, where he oversaw more than 200 campuses and centers and served approximately 182,000 students in the largest school district in Virginia.

In that role, he led system-wide improvement efforts that resulted in 100% school accreditation, the elimination of federally identified middle schools, graduation rates exceeding state averages, and measurable gains in equity, academic performance and school climate.

The District said Ponce provided support to manage a $3.8 billion budget.

Prior to Fairfax, Ponce served as Assistant Superintendent of High Schools for the Houston Independent School District, one of the largest public school systems in the nation.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Honduras, a master’s degree in public education from the University of Houston and a doctorate in education from Texas A&M University, where he was recognized with the Outstanding Alumni Award by the Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development.

“The Board, on behalf of a grateful community, extends its profound thanks to Acting Superintendent Dan Casillas for his steady, selfless leadership over the past nine months. When called upon to step into the breach, Mr. Casillas did so without fanfare and righted our ship. Dr. Ponce will lead our district into its next chapter with a focus on academic excellence for all students. His talents and temperament reflect what the community demanded of our next superintendent,” said Champaign Unit 4 School District Board President Tony Bruno.

“In Champaign Unit 4, every student deserves to feel safe, valued and challenged — and every decision must be guided by excellence, community voice and opportunity,” said Ponce. “I am grateful for the Champaign Unit 4 community’s trust, and look forward to doing this important work together.”

The Champaign Unit 4 School District Board will vote on the position at its Feb. 9 meeting.

Ponce will begin his role as superintendent on July 1.

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