After a lengthy search, the Clarke County School District officially has a new superintendent.
Superior Court Judge Eric Norris administered the oath of office to Dr. Robbie Hooker at the Board of Education’s meeting Thursday evening. Hooker is scheduled to start work Monday, October 10. He replaces retiring Superintendent Dr. Xernona Thomas, whose last day is Friday.
A former principal at Clarke Central High School, Hooker was served as superintendent of Social Circle City schools before returning to Clarke County.
One issue Hooker can expect to confront once taking office is a graduation rate that has dipped below the state average. The district’s overall graduation rate for the 2021-22 school year was 78.3%, about 3% lower than the previous year and nearly 5% under Georgia’s average.
Along with plans to expand existing services, CCSD has partnered with the U.S. Department of Education to implement the Graduation Ready project. This initiative identifies students who are at risk of not graduating on time and provides interventions to ensure they remain on track.
