CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Education has voted to partner with Pioneer RESA to facilitate the search for a new Superintendent of Schools. The board approved the action during a called meeting on Monday, October 20th.
On September 25th, the White County Board of Education approved the retirement of current Superintendent, Dr. Laurie Burkett, effective at the end of March 2026. Dr. Burkett has served as Superintendent since 2018.
A news release from the school system said, White County School System is indebted to Dr. Burkett for her outstanding leadership.
Pioneer RESA will consult with Georgia Leadership Associates in the search. GLA, formerly King-Cooper and Associates, has been conducting searches in Georgia for over 25 years.
Pioneer RESA Director Tim Cochran will follow the Board’s directives to advertise the vacancy throughout Georgia.
“The Board of Education understands the significance of this search and is dedicated to a thorough process to ensure a Superintendent is selected who will best serve our students, staff, and community for years to come,” the release stated
According to Board Chair Missy Jarrard, “The Board is committed to a search that attracts top-tier candidates and to identifying the most highly qualified individual to lead our district.”
The Board will develop a comprehensive timeline that allows adequate time for a high-quality search process. As part of this process, community members and employees will be surveyed to help establish a candidate profile. Pioneer RESA will receive and process all applications, conduct reference checks on each applicant, and manage all related communications. All candidate information will be presented to the Board for consideration.
The Board will use the Leadership Profile and input from stakeholder surveys to guide its decisions on interviews and ultimately, the selection of the next Superintendent.
“It is our job to support the White County Board in the search and provide the best possible information to the Board, but neither I nor GLA will tell the Board who to hire,” said Cochran. “There will be strong interest in this position due to the outstanding reputation of the school system, the students, the community, and the Board.”
