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Buckingham County Public Schools has a new superintendent, ready to take over as of July 1. During their meeting on Wednesday, April 16, the school board voted unanimously to name Dr. Cynthia Reasoner to the position. 

“To our parents, students and community members, (thank you) for your patience throughout this process,” School Board Chairman Joii Goodman said. He thanked the school board for setting a standard of quality for the community with their work on this, also thanking current Buckingham Superintendent Dr. John Keeler, Central Office staff and Buckingham employees. “I am excited and can declare we will move forward in this direction and we will continue to keep our children and their education and their future first.” 

More about the new superintendent 

Reasoner currently serves as the Director of Human Resources and Administration for Amelia County Public Schools, a role she has held since 2023. She began her education career in Newport News City Public Schools as a teacher, a position she held for three years. Reasoner has also served as an AVID Program Director for middle and high schools in Hampton City Public Schools, an Assistant Principal in Hampton City Public Schools, Virginia Beach City Public Schools, and Chesterfield County Public Schools, and as a Principal and Director of Instruction and Human Resources in Amelia County Public Schools, culminating in nearly 31 years of experience in education.

“I am excited and honored to join Buckingham County Public Schools,” Reasoner said. Speaking to the audience on Wednesday, she thanked Dr. Keeler for his work in Buckingham and offered congratulations on his upcoming retirement. “I’m extremely grateful to Mr. Goodman and the entire school board for their confidence in me. I look forward to working hand in hand, united, with the board, our teachers and staff, our administrators, our students and families, and our community supporters, to build on Buckingham’s many successes and create new opportunities for excellence and growth. Together we will continue to develop the future, one student at a time.”

She earned her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Liberty University, a PreK-12 Administration/Supervision Endorsement from Old Dominion University, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Mary Washington.

Just as neighboring Prince Edward County did, Buckingham got help in this search from the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA). 

Changes for Buckingham County Public Schools

Reasoner takes over from Keeler, whose retirement will become official at the end of this school year. A graduate of Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in science education, Keeler also has a master’s degree from Virginia State University in educational leadership and a doctorate in education leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Before coming to Buckingham, Keeler had retired as superintendent of Buena Vista City Public Schools, where he served as superintendent from 2013 to June 2021.

Keeler originally joined the district in an interim role, taking over after former BCPS Superintendent Dr. Daisy Hicks announced her retirement back in 2021. The interim tag was removed in 2022 and Keeler took over the position full-time. 

A growing district 

Reasoner takes over a district that’s excelling in several areas. Back in February, the National Center for Education Statistics released data from the 2024 math and reading tests, comparing states and districts across the country. While some Virginia districts struggled, Buckingham was one of six in the state recognized for exemplary progress. 

At both the elementary and middle school, Buckingham used the “Zearn” math platform. The platform uses pictures, visual models and real-life examples to show students better understand math problems and solutions. That change helped 77% of the middle school’s students pass the state math test back in May 2024, marking the first time since the pandemic the school had a pass rate over the state average. They did the same with the “Lexia” reading platform at the middle school, finding ways to help students understand and gain confidence in reading. For the first time since 2019, Buckingham Middle students achieved a pass rate above the state average in reading, with 76% passing, compared to the state average of 75%.