As far back as elementary school, Matt Dillon can remember having teachers that supported and cared about him – and seeing the fulfillment those measures gave the teachers in their own lives drew him to want to do the same thing in the field of education.
That was the start of the journey that led him to his current position as superintendent of the Petal School District, where he now marking his 10th anniversary – and it’s a position of which he, his cohorts and his family couldn’t be prouder.
“It’s really special, as I reflect back now that the school year’s over, and realize I’ve been here a decade,” Dillon said. “The relationships I’ve built here – not knowing many people at all when I moved here, and now fast-forward 10 years later – It’s just some special and meaningful relationships that I’ve made.
“Whether that’s through the school district or through the community, it’s something that’s really hard to put into words When you get to be a part of a community such as Petal and a school district such as Petal, my wife and I could not be happier with where we’re at.”
Dillon graduated from Columbia High School in 1996 before attending Jones County Junior College (now Jones College) and earning an associate’s degree. From there, he went to the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned an elementary education degree with a minor in biology.
Dillon then began teaching and coaching baseball at the Harrison County School District. After that, he spent nine years in the South Panola School District, where he served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal.
Dillon then earned his master’s degree and PhD from the University of Southern Mississippi before becoming principal at Pearl High School and the assistant superintendent in Tupelo.
At that point, Dillon and his wife MaryAnn decided they wanted to find a place to get settled and raise their three kids – Nate, Peyton and Anna Kate – and the number one district and community on their list was Petal. So when the opportunity became available, Dillon interviewed for the position of superintendent of the Petal School District in June 2014.
“To be able to have the opportunity at such a young age to be able to move here and be a part of this district as superintendent, and to raise our kids here, means so much,” Dillon said. “Our kids, when they’re adults, people are going to say ‘where are you from,’ and my kids are going to say they’re from Petal, and there’s a lot of pride with that.
“They’re getting a strong foundation academically, in the arts and athletics, and they’re being raised in a community that values education, church, recreation, all the things that are important to us.”
During Dillon’s 10 years at the helm, the Petal School District has been named the number one school district in the state and is recognized annually as an “A” school district by the Mississippi Department of Education. Other highlights during his tenure include the “one-to-one” initiative to provide Chromebooks for every student, increased Career and Technical Education opportunities such as the Utility Lineman program with Chain Electric, the implementation of Project SEARCH – a program focused on providing education and training to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities – and increased participation in arts and athletics.
In 2021, he was named Mississippi Superintendent of the Year by the Mississippi Association of School Administrators. He was also recognized in 2019 as the Mississippi Haggar Hall of Fame Dad of the Year, appearing on the Steve Harvey Show in Los Angeles.
In 2018, the Mississippi Association of Colleges for Teacher Education presented him with the Outstanding Administrator award and in 2017, he was named Petal Person of the Year by the Petal News.
“Just to see the growth that’s happened in these 10 years is pretty neat – not only the growth of the student body and positions we’ve had to add over the years due to our growth, but the growth of the community as a whole,” Dillon said. “It’s been a very rewarding 10 years, and we’ve got more to give.
“We’re excited to continue to move forward.”
More recently, Dillon spearheaded the bond initiative in which voters recently approved a tax increase to fund an upcoming elementary school and multi-purpose building to accommodate the growing student population. That measure passed during a special referendum on May 16, 2023, during which approximately 80 percent of voters said “yes” to the measure.
To recognize Dillon’s efforts over the past decade, district officials were recently able to create the Matthew L. Dillon Leadership Scholarship, which gives qualifying students $1,000 in perpetuity.
“If you look at the way the bond initiative worked out, you had tremendous support from the community, and all of our projects are underway in just over a year (from the time it passed),” said Jerry Defatta, chariman of the Petal School District Board of Trustees. “So really, his vision for our school district from a physical standpoint, it will be realized in the next couple of years as we complete these projects.
“So as we were thinking about how best to honor his leadership in the community, it just made a lot of sense to do something to focus on the academic success that we’ve had during his time here. He’s one of the better leaders I’ve ever been around, so I just thought the idea of honoring him with a scholarship that would really invest in a student in perpetuity was a really positive thing.”
For the future of the district, Dillon looks forward to maintaining and continuing its success.
“We never want to be a one-hit wonder in any part of what we do,” he said. “So really, the challenge of a district like Petal is how we continue to get just a little bit better than we were yesterday.
“Often, people think we’re competing against other districts, organizations and entities, but truly we’re competing against ourselves. We’re competing against how we did the last time we performed in anything. I love the growth mindset we have in this district; I love how we have leaders, teachers and support staff who want what’s best for our students.”
