HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — By unanimous vote, Houston County's Board of Education confirmed Richard Rogers as their next school superintendent. Their search started in August when current superintendent Mark Scott announced he'll retire at the end of this school year.
Rogers started as a teacher in the county 20 years ago. Since then, he's moved up from assistant principal to principal to head of human resources and finally to deputy superintendent.
Rogers' mother-in-law inspired him and his wife to moved back to Houston County in 2004, when they began having children. His wife is currently a speech language pathologist at Mossy Creek Middle School.
"I feel humbled, honored, grateful,” he said. “This district has a history of the Houston County way. It's had very gifted superintendents and I know what a serious decision this was from the board, and I'm just honored that they've selected me. And I'll tell you, I'm going to work hard and it's going to be for the students and staff of this district to keep Houston County that special."
Rogers said the first thing he wants to do now is meet more students and staff from the district. Houston County has 38 schools and almost 31,000 students. One of Rogers’ daughters graduated from the county and the other is still a student, so he says he understands the need for a good leader.
"I know how serious it is when you send your children to school that we're going to take care of them,” he said. “Safety is our number one priority. And then we're going to give them a great education and I understand the seriousness of it. I just want the community to know my heart and know that I'm there to make the best decisions we can for these children."
Chair of the district board Helen Hughes said even though Rogers is an internal hire, candidates not already working at the district had an equal chance to secure the role. She said they received six applications, interviewed three that met the qualifications and selected Rogers as the finalist.
"It was a very structured and methodical process,” Hughes said. “It wasn't just thrown together like we're going to anoint someone. It wasn't that type of thing. We uncovered and searched for what we were looking for and I think we found it."
Rogers said on days like today, he reflects on his journey in education.
"It's very heartfelt that I sit here today and that I will be leading Houston County,” he said. “I can do it because we've got such a dynamic team at the end of the day, we're going to be leading it together."
Rogers said for the next six months, he will work beside Mark Scott to prepare next year's budget, hiring and teacher recruitment. He officially becomes superintendent June 2, 2025.