“Excellence, discipline, grit, integrity, and teamwork” are personal values which Assistant Superintendent Dr. Michael Eubanks has built his life around and will be bringing with him to his upcoming position as superintendent of the Laurel School District.
After current Superintendent Dr. Toy Watts announced her upcoming retirement after this school year, the Laurel School District Board of Trustees immediately knew the perfect candidate to expound upon the excellent progress that Watts has brought with her. Eubanks will step into his new position on July 1 and is well prepared to make a difference in the school district and the community.
“I’m excited about this new chapter,” Eubanks said, with his ever-present enthusiasm. “Dr. Watts is leaving the district in a good place to build a foundation for us to move forward.”
Eubanks brings a multitude of exceptional qualities to his new role as he has served as an educator, teacher, coach, assistant principal, high school principal, and assistant superintendent, and has even driven a few bus routes whenever the district was shorthanded.
“Getting a chance to partake in all of those positions has given me a different perspective and understanding of the organization,” Eubanks said. “It has given me a structural perspective of being a structural leader in every position that I have served.”
A majority of the structure and dedication that Eubanks encompasses can be traced back to his youth growing up in the Mississippi Delta. Eubanks was an excellent scholar at Delta State University, but he also brought his impressive athletic prowess to the gridiron. As an outside linebacker for the Statesmen, Eubanks was twice named Gulf South Conference (GSC) Defensive Player of the Year, honored as the GSC Defensive Player of the Decade, and this three-time All-American was also one of the finalists for the Harlon Hill Award—the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. To this day, he still holds many school and conference records.
“My personal background is as an athlete,” Eubanks said. “I had some great coaches at Delta State and others that challenged me to be the best version of myself, and I hope to bring those initiatives to the role of Superintendent. It’s in my DNA to be very competitive in everything I do. I am going to compete in this position, and I’m going to push others around me to compete so that we have our own identity as a school district. I want us to be constantly changing from good to great at what we do.”
After stellar academic and athletic careers at Delta State, Eubanks moved to the Pine Belt to finish his education in pre-med but quickly found out that education was his true passion, and he has never doubted his decision to change majors. He feels blessed that he found his way to the Laurel School District.
“There is so much potential and so much opportunity here because of the history Laurel has in academics, athletics, the arts, and so many other facets of the educational process,” Eubanks said. “It is powerful. I think that is also the DNA fabric of who we are here at Laurel. The heart of everything we do will always focus on teaching and learning.”
Understanding that remarkable things can only occur when there is a dedicated, supportive staff that focuses on the student, Eubanks emphasizes that basic needs and emotional assistance are essential to ensure that each student excels.
“For students to excel, their essential needs cannot be seen isolation, but an environment must be created where all the needs of our children are met,” Eubanks said. “It starts with the well-being of the kids, the staff, the faculty, and the administrators, as well.”
With a smile, Eubanks stated that “health and wellness” will always be his battle cry for a successful life. “Teamwork” is more than just a buzzword for Eubanks—it is the key to becoming an even greater school district with the support of a very involved community.
“No organization can move forward without cohesiveness and moving forward to the same goal,” Eubanks said. “The more people we have on board with that idea; the more successful we will be.”
In his methodical, energetic mind, Eubanks has seemingly developed a mastermind plan to prepare students for greatness, but he knows that for those concepts to be successful, these ideas must be implemented the moment that students begin school. He is already planning for future kindergarteners who make up the class of 2038.
“Academics and athletics are the foundation of what we do here at Laurel, and we must build off the momentum of them so that our kids will have the best experience they can have in the district,” Eubanks said. “There are so many legacies that exist within Laurel that we don’t want to forget, and we want to stand on the shoulders of the individuals who have already paved the way for us.”
During his time as Laurel High School principal, Eubanks began implementing programs that would prepare students for future success. He proposed that educators and administrators must contemplate on not just the present situations of students but also the past and future of those students.
“You can’t think in isolation or of only the present,” Eubanks said. “We have to think about the kids that are getting ready to graduate in four years. We must think about the kids that will be coming up to the high school next year—not just where they are right now.”
During his tenure as Laurel High principal, Eubanks was instrumental in many advances and accomplishments such as increases in graduation rates, letters of scholarship, and academic standing, but his greatest achievement to date is the program of dual enrollment with Jones College. Eubanks was the guiding force behind the Middle College Program—the association with Jones College, allowing high school students that are accepted into the program to attend classes at the college tuition-free, including complimentary books and bus transportation to the Ellisville campus. Since the success of the program, the interest level of the program has increased dramatically.
“We want our students to have all the opportunities available to them to be all that they can be,” Eubanks said. “Last year was our first year of students who graduated with a high school degree and an associate degree at the same time. That’s one of the ways that we are working to be innovative to help our kids excel at every level.”
Eubanks wants to create a “world-class educational system” so that students can have a realm of opportunities open to them, believing that preparing the students properly is key to that goal.
“Our administration has been intentional on creating the portrait of the student that we want to produce,” Eubanks said. “That will be the blueprint of how we do business inside and outside of the classroom.”
Eubanks’ creative approach to education is based on connecting with and influencing the entire student with an emphasis on teaching “emotional intelligence.”
“We need to be intentional about producing the highest quality of caliber students possible,” Eubanks said. “We need to always think outside of the box and be innovative by preparing our students for a world that doesn’t even exist yet.”
Eubanks understands that to be a good leader and steward of people, the small things must be taken care of first before success can be accomplished, such as being present and accounted for.
“We have pockets of greatness all over this district, and we want to elucidate them through excellence, determination, and teamwork to help them become the best version of themselves,” Eubanks said.
For Eubanks, no person—regardless of title or position—goes overlooked, understanding the importance that each individual plays in the district and community.
“We have so many people in our district that I call ‘unseen heroes,’” Eubanks said. “These are the people behind the scenes that impact children every day, such as the bus drivers who make sure the students get to school on time, the cafeteria workers who make sure the students have a nutritious meal, the custodial and maintenance staff that work hard to make sure that our students can learn in a healthy environment. Each one of them is important to the success of the school district.”
Eubanks has already done remarkable things for the Laurel School District and has a wealth of creative, innovative ideas that he is eager to put into place for the benefit of the students. The compassionate heart of Eubanks is so evident, and his drive to create a stellar school district is unmatched.
“The level of commitment, loyalty, and love that we have for our students in the district is incredible,” Eubanks said. “Kids won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care about them. They may respect you for your knowledge, but when we are able to bridge that gap of how much we care about them, they’ll hang the moon and the stars around you. These kids are depending on us, and we can’t let them down. My initial mantra is that we are family, and it is vital to continue to create a family environment here.”
Success is already written in the stars for Eubanks as he brings his energetic excitement and enthusiasm to everything he does. He accounts that energy to his inner joy for his love for his work.
“We are going to win in everything,” Eubanks said. “We are going to be the best. That is just who we are going to be. It is happening in the district now, and it is phenomenal. I’m so honored that I have to opportunity to take it further and capitalize on the improvements that Dr. Watts and the Laurel School District have established.”
Dr. Toy Watts is equally excited about the future, knowing that Eubanks will take the school district to even greater heights.
“Dr. Eubanks was the perfect choice to continue the legacy of excellence in the Laurel School District,” Watts said. “He has had the opportunity to become a trusted leader in our community and is a major contributor to the success we have experienced. He is innovative, driven, and very focused on doing the right thing for the students of the Laurel School District. And I am looking forward to being one of his supportive parents!”