[ May 01, 2023 ] The Pickens County Board of Education continues to make progress in naming a new superintendent for our schools.

The Board was very pleased to have a field of 21 qualified applicants for the position. From these 21, the field was narrowed to a smaller number of candidates for closer review. We invited these candidates back to the district for a second round of interviews. We liked all candidates, but Dr. Travis Thomas emerged as the right fit for our district.

Pursuant to Georgia law, we must wait at least 14 calendar days before taking final action on the position. The Board of Education is required to make available to the public documents for inspection and review for our chosen finalist.

During a called Board meeting on May 1, 2023, Dr. Travis Thomas has been named by the board to be the best qualified for the position and our sole finalist. Information on Dr Thomas will be made available at the Central Office and will be posted on the school district website.

The Board of Education had this to say in regards to Dr. Thomas:

"With his many years and levels of experience, Dr. Thomas is a superb fit for the PCSD. He is well qualified, has the experience, and is touted as a leader among his peers. When asked his thoughts on leadership, he stated, 'the key to leadership is to remember that people do what people see' and he continued to say that the standard was to be set by his actions and his example. The Board is confident Dr. Travis Thomas will be the leader and standard bearer we need."

The Board hopes to have the new superintendent in place by mid May.


BIO

Dr. Travis Thomas is a native of Elkin, North Carolina and a graduate of Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He obtained his master's degree in Secondary Education from the University of West Georgia, a specialist degree from Jacksonville State University, and his doctorate in 2017 from the University of Alabama.

Dr. Thomas started his educational career as a social studies teacher and basketball coach in private education at Oak Mountain Academy in Carrollton, Georgia. In 1998, Dr. Thomas made the move from private to public education by joining the Carroll County School district where he has served as an educator for the past 25 years.

In Carroll County, he continued his educational career as a high school social studies teacher and the varsity boys basketball coach at Villa Rica High School. In 2004, Dr. Thomas moved into school administration, serving as the Assistant Principal at Jonesville Middle School before moving to Villa Rica Middle School in 2006 to serve as the Principal. In 2008, he was hired as Principal of Bowdon High School where
he served for eight years.

In 2016, Dr. Thomas moved into district administration when he was promoted as the Director of High Schools and Assessment for Carroll County. Since last May, he has served as the Director of High Schools and Middle Schools for the district.

Over the past few years, the five high schools in Carroll County have steadily improved their graduation rate with the district average exceeding 90% five years in a row. Additionally, the number of Advanced Placement classes offered at each high school have increased as well as the test performance by students on these AP tests; multiple high schools have also consistently earned College Board honors.

Lastly, all Carroll County high schools have achieved district STEM recognition with three of the five earning National STEM certification (a distinction only 2% of schools nationwide have).

Dr. Thomas stated, "I am very excited to have this opportunity to work together with the Board of Education, students, parents, teachers and leaders of Pickens County. Our focus will be on the future as we work collaboratively to provide high quality opportunities for all of our stakeholders."

Dr. Thomas and his wife Candy have two sons. Rett (20) is finishing up his sophomore year at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. Ty (18) will be graduating from Central High School in Carroll County later this month and will enroll at Kennesaw State University in the fall.