The Oconee County Board of Education seems to have little competition in hiring a replacement for retiring Superintendent Jason Branch.
Georgia Leadership Associates (GLA), which is handling the search for the Board, lists open searches for superintendents in three other school districts, but the deadline for applying in each case has passed.
The Georgia School Board Association (GSBA) also lists three superintendent searches as open, but the application deadline has passed for each of those as well.
Oconee County School Chief Human Resources Officer Justin Cofer told the Board at its May 5 meeting that GLA and GSBA are “the two most prominent agencies operating in the state of Georgia.” The Board approved a contract with GLA at that meeting.
The Greene County Board of Education also is seeking a new superintendent and has hired McPherson and Jacobson LLC of Omaha, Neb., to help with the search, but the deadline for applications for that search was May 9.
The GLA posting for Oconee County superintendent lists four minimum qualifications: holding or being eligible for Tier 2 certification by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, being of good moral character, not having a family member serving on the Board of Education, and a desire to make an extended commitment to Oconee County and a pledge to continue a high standard of excellence.
Experience as a classroom teacher and as an administrator at the school or central officer level are preferred, as is experience in the state of Georgia.
The deadline for applications is June 16, and the Board has indicated it hopes to select a superintendent to start work in January.
Timing Of Hire
Superintendent Jason Branch announced his decision to retire effective June 30 at the Board meeting on April 14.
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Board Chair Michael Ransom said the Board “brainstormed” on the superintendent search in executive session on May 5 after selecting GLA as its search agency.
After another executive session on May 12, the Board hired Debra Harden as a half-time interim superintendent.
Harden will serve until the end of this calendar year, though the contract can be extended if the Board does not hire a new superintendent to begin serving on Jan. 1 of 2026.
Ransom has said that the short time frame for the search does not indicate that the Board is leaning toward appointing an internal candidate.
Ransom said it should be possible for someone currently employed to break a contract and assume the position of superintendent of Oconee County Schools in January.
Branch went into the executive sessions with the Board on May 5 and May 12 and returned to the open meeting at the end of the session with the Board, but Ransom said Branch was not present during discussion of the next superintendent.
Qualifications, Role Of Superintendent
The GLA Listing for Oconee County Schools requires that applicants have Tier 2 Certification in Leadership or be eligible for Tier 2 Certification.
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| Ransom 4/14/2025 |
Various universities around the state provide programs leading first to Tier 1 and then Tier 2 certification in Educational Leadership.
Graduates of Education Doctoral Degree program generally receive Tier 2 certification.
The Oconee County Schools web site lists eight components of the role of the Superintendent.
The superintendent is the chief administrative officer of the school system and “works with the local board in a team effort to lead the school system,” according to the statement.
The superintendent also is the ex-officio secretary and treasurer of the Board.
The superintendent makes employment and assignment recommendations for all school personnel to the Board and evaluates the staff and programs on a regular basis, according to the statement on the web.
The superintendent “Communicates the needs of the school system to the public in an accurate and timely manner,” the document states.
Likely Internal Candidates
At present, no school administrator carries the title of assistant or associate superintendent at Oconee County Schools. A person with that title would be the logical leading internal candidate.
Dallas LeDuff held the title of associate superintendent when he stepped down at the end of last year to become superintendent at Barrow County Schools.
Kevin Yancey assumed some of the responsibilities of LeDuff, but his title is Director of Student Services.
Chief Academic Officer Susan Stancil is leaving Oconee County Schools at the end of the year to take over as superintendent of the Morgan County Charter Schools. Stancil is being replaced by Jennifer Whitaker, formerly Director of Elementary Education.
Yancey, Chief Operations Officer Ryan White, and Chief Human Resources Officer Cofer have significant portfolios, are prominent during and after meetings, and would seem to be the most likely internal candidates.
All three returned to the Board Room just ahead of the Board when it came out of its lengthy executive session on the superintendent search on May 12.
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