Franklin Co. BOE Announces School Superintendent Finalists

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

The Franklin County Board of Education announces its three finalists for School Superintendent.

At a called meeting Thursday evening, Board member Robin Cato read their names.

“The three finalists for Franklin County School Superintendent are Dr. Ardith Bates, Mr. Shannon Christian, and Mr. Wayne Randall,” Cato announced.

Cato motioned the Board accept all three candidates as its finalists and the motion passed unanimously with Board member Dr. Pam Stone absent.

All three finalists are from Georgia school systems.

Dr. Ardith Bates is from Dalton, Georgia and currently works in the Murray County School System in Chatsworth, Georgia as the Director of Personnel.

Prior to that, she served as the Director of Student Services, the principal of Gladden Middle School, and was also a high school guidance counselor and teacher in the Whitfield County school system.

She is a graduate of Dalton State College and received her Masters from the University of West Georgia and her Doctorate from the University of Alabama.

Shannon Christian is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Operations for the Butts County School System in Jackson, Georgia.

Prior to that, he was the Principal at Central Middle School in Carroll County, Georgia and assistant principal at Central High School in Carroll County.

Christian is a graduate of Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Florida.

Wayne Randall is an Assistant School Superintendent for the Franklin County School System.

Prior to that, Randall served as the principal of Franklin County High School and Associate Principal.

Randall received his Bachelors degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Georgia and a Masters in Agriculture Education from the University of Alabama.

School Board Chair Joe Greene said the Franklin County Board of Education will now wait until April before announcing its choice for the job.

“We have to wait 14 days after today to be able to announce,” Greene said. “That actually falls on a day when the school system is on spring break and everybody will be gone. So, I would say it will be the next full week when we will make an announcement then.”

The Franklin County Board of Education received a total of 22 resumes from a broad range of applicants from all over the country. Applications were received from candidates in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia.

Last week, the board interviewed its top six candidates in an all day session at the Holiday Inn Express in Lavonia.

Whomever is chosen in Franklin County will succeed Dr. Ruth O’Dell, who will retire at the end of this school year.