Oconee County board hires search firm for superintendent; schedules multiple facilities and program votes for May 12

The Oconee County Board of Education voted unanimously May 5 to retain Georgia Leadership Associates to lead the district's search for a new superintendent and reviewed a slate of action items to be considered at the board's May 12 meeting.

Human resources staff presented the superintendent-search recommendation and asked the board to "formally approve Georgia Leadership Associates as the selected search agency to assist in identifying the next superintendent for Oconee County Schools," a request the board approved by voice vote, 4-0. The search firm will be led by Dr. Allen McCannon and Wes Taylor, both described in the presentation as retired Georgia superintendents who will guide the district's recruitment process.

The board's vote concluded the human resources action item. Board members moved and seconded the motion and Chair Ransom called the vote; the board recorded the motion as passing 4-0.

Beyond the search-agency approval, staff briefed the board on multiple items that will come back as formal action items at the May 12 meeting. Those items include: - A recommendation to approve the FY26 CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) local plan and associated Perkins and state grant applications. The superintendent is recommending the board approve the plan at the May 12 meeting; no vote occurred May 5. - An out-of-state field trip for the Oconee County High School girls basketball team to travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina; the superintendent will recommend approval at the May 12 meeting. - A recommendation to award a bid for 14-passenger activity vehicles to Rush Truck Center for $252,000 based on state contract pricing; staff said the purchase would be funded from ELOs and the general fund and will be on the May 12 consent/action agenda. - Facilities and construction action items: door hardware improvements at North Oconee High (Classic City Doors, $83,523.20); an Oconee High School parking-lot addition (Smith and Co., $822,916.46) to add 194 spaces; and maintenance-facility paving (Magnum Paving, $192,414). Staff said those projects would be funded from ELOs and the general fund and will be presented for approval May 12.

Business services told the board that the FY26 tentative budget could not be presented May 5 because the county tax digest data were not yet finalized following a statewide software issue in the tax commissioner's office. "Proceeding without it would be premature and could result in inaccuracies that we want to avoid," the business-services presenter said. Staff said they are in regular contact with the tax commissioner and will adjust the schedule once digest figures are available; the presentation also referenced changes from House Bill 581 affecting revenue projection calculations.

Board members received several informational reports at the work session. Superintendent Dr. Branch highlighted upcoming graduation ceremonies at Akins Ford Arena on May 23 for Oconee County High School (3 p.m.) and North Oconee High School (6 p.m.), recognized 19 retiring employees representing nearly 400 years of combined service, and described district honors including several schools recognized by the state accountability system and nine schools named math leaders by the Georgia Department of Education.

Technology staff reported that the district completed its annual device-replacement cycle this spring (swapping 204 student Chromebooks, 259 staff laptops and 119 desktops) and that technology services supported a testing window the district described as 28,795 test sessions across major state assessments. Operations and transportation staff provided monthly metrics on field trips, athletic trips, special-education trips and miles driven; they also noted quarterly bus-driver training and an upcoming delivery and installation schedule for high-school practice-field lighting.

After the business of the work session the board voted 4-0 to adjourn into an executive session to discuss personnel matters; the board indicated an affidavit would be attached to the minutes documenting the statutory basis for the closed session.

The superintendent search contract, the vehicle purchase and the three listed facilities projects are scheduled for formal votes at the board's regular meeting on May 12, and staff said they will present the FY26 tentative budget once the county tax digest is finalized. No additional votes on those items were taken at the May 5 work session.