Last night, the Clarke County Board of Education named Dr. Xernona Thomas as superintendent of the Clarke County School District.
Dr. Thomas has been serving as interim superintendent since November 2019 when she was appointed to replace former superintendent Demond Means.
As an Athens native, Thomas is a Clarke Central High graduate and has received three degrees, including a Bachelor’s in Journalism, Master of Social Work, and Doctorate of Education, from the University of Georgia. Since then, she has spent the past 28 years serving Clarke and Oconee counties as a school social worker and administrator.
“Dr. Thomas had the board’s full support to guide the district through the transition and navigated a very challenging year,” states Dr. LaKeisha Gantt, Board President. “There is much work to be done, and we look forward to partnering together to increase student achievement and place all students on a path towards success.”
In a statement, Dr. Thomas says that despite the many challenges faced this past year, including the COVID-19 pandemic, she is “looking forward to doing the work and providing some stability as long as is needed so we can continue to serve the children of Athens-Clarke County.”
The terms of Thomas’ contract were not immediately released.
