The Long County School System has found its new superintendent.
During a called meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 26, the Long County Board of Education voted to remove the interim tag from David Edwards’ job title and officially named him the new superintendent of Long County Schools. This decision comes less than a month after Edwards took over in a temporary role for the retiring Dr. Robert Waters, who worked his final day on Jan. 31.
In an open forum, question-and-answer session before the meeting was called to order, Edwards was asked one question by Vice Chairperson Florence Baggs. She asked what his vision for the school system would be.
Edwards, who said he has spent his whole life in Long County schools from being a student to teaching agriculture to working in administration, answered he has goals for not only the academics in the schools, but for extracurricular activities as well.
“I want to continue to focus on academics and making sure our students are prepared for whatever they want in life,” Edwards said. “Whether it’s college. Whether it’s vo-tech, military, or whether it’s to go straight to work.”
Edwards explained he would like to continue to offer students opportunities including “sports, clubs, fine arts, chorus, and band.”
“We have some very artistic students and I believed those need to be showcased along with our sports,” Edwards said.
Edwards added that he has been working with Heath Crane, head of transportation at Long County Schools, to try and alleviate the multiple bus issues the system has been having over the last few years.
Edwards, who was unanimously voted in as superintendent with a 5-0 vote – with District 1 representative Dennis DeLoach making the motion – has spent the last decade of his teaching career in administration, serving as assistant principal of Long County High School, head principal at Smiley Elementary from 2012-2015, and then as head principal at LCHS from 2015-2017 before taking the Chief Financial Officer position at the Board of Education.
He will sign his contract as superintendent at the March BOE meeting. Edwards appeared excited to start his new venture in the county where he has grown up.
“I’m proud to be from Long County and I’m proud to serve the Long County School System,” he said.