The Bright Local Board of Education voted Wednesday to unanimously approve Jason Iles as the next superintendent of the Bright Local School District.

Current superintendent Michael Bick will be retiring at the end of the 2022-23 school year. A 1977 Hillsboro High School graduate who worked 32 with the Eastern Brown School District, Bick came out of retirement in 2016 to accept an elementary principal’s postion with Bright Local. He has served the last two years as Bright Local superintendent and is finishing up his 39th year in public education.

Jason Iles has served as the Bright Local junior high/high school principal over the last four years.

“I am thankful for this opportunity to lead such an amazing district with such amazing people,” Iles said.

Iles spent the first 10 years of his career at Clermont Northeastern as a health and physical education teacher. He is a graduate of Wilmington College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in science, his master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Cincinnati, and most recently obtained his superintendent licensure at The University of Findlay in 2019.

“I am looking forward to continuing the success that the Bright Local School District has had over the past few years. Our district is filled with amazing families, students and staff. Bright Local Schools is the hidden gem in Highland County,” Iles said.

He said his first priority is to establish trust in his leadership and continue to build positive relationships with district staff and the community.

“I want to thank the board of education for entrusting me to lead Bright Local Schools,” Iles said. “I look forward to building lasting relationships with students and families while providing a quality education that all children deserve.”

Iles currently resides in Brown County with his wife Kimberly and family.

He will begin his new position effective Aug. 1, 2023.

Information for this story was provided by Travis Bogart, technology coordinator, Bright Local Schools.