PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Education officials in Philadelphia say they are hiring William Hite Jr. as the school district’s new superintendent.

Hite currently heads the public schools in Prince George’s County, Maryland, just outside Washington.

Philadelphia School Reform Commission Chairman Pedro Ramos announced Hite’s selection on Friday evening, calling him “a proven transformative leader.”

Hite’s starting date has not yet been determined. A statement from the Prince George’s school board says he must give four months notice.

Philadelphia’s previous superintendent, Arlene Ackerman, left abruptly last summer after clashing with local officials.

Pedro Martinez, the deputy superintendent of Nevada’s Clark County school district, was also a finalist for the Philadelphia job. On Friday, he took a job as head of the Washoe County schools in Nevada.

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