Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) today announces two new administrative appointments for the 2023-2024 school year. The appointments include a new principal for Henry E. Lackey High School and the selection of a principal for the new public charter school PISOTA – Phoenix International School of the Arts.
The Board of Education of Charles County approved the appointment of Cheryl Davis, a current assistant principal at North Point High School, as principal of Henry E. Lackey High School effective July 1.
Davis will take over the principalship role from Kathy Perriello, longtime principal at Lackey who recently announced her retirement from CCPS at the end of the school year. Perriello has spent her entire career in education with CCPS and retires after 34 years as a teacher, teacher mentor, assistant principal and principal.
Davis started her career in education with CCPS as a family and consumer science teacher at Lackey, a position she held for 17 years. In 2007, Davis pursued a career in administration and was named as a vice principal at John Hanson Middle School. In 2011, Davis moved to a vice principal role at Westlake High School and has served as an assistant principal at North Point since 2014.
The Board also approved the appointment of Roy Demetri Sermons, Ed.D., as principal at PISOTA. His appointment takes effect June 1 and PISOTA will open in August at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
Dr. Sermons is currently serving as a principal with Providence Public Schools in Rhode Island. He previously served as a principal with Richmond Public Schools in Virginia, principal with Vision Academies, EastSide Charter School in Wilmington, Del., and with District of Columbia Public Schools as an assistant principal of literacy. Dr. Sermons also has educational experience with school systems in Georgia and started his career in education as an English language arts teacher in Alabama.
PISOTA opens in August as the county’s first public charter school with 175 students enrolled in Grades 6-8. At the May 9 Board meeting, Angelica Jackson, co-founder and chief executive officer of PISOTA, joined CCPS staff to provide an update to the Board on the opening of PISOTA. The update is posted to the CCPS website here.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,598 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event. CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).