Chattahoochee Co. superintendent is sole finalist for top job in another school district
Chattahoochee County School District superintendent Kristie Brooks is one step away from becoming the top education official in another Georgia system.
Brooks is the sole finalist to be superintendent of the Baldwin County School District. The Baldwin County Board of Education announced the news on its website.
The board chose Brooks after reading 33 applications and conducting three rounds of interviews, according to the news release. State law requires school boards to wait at least 14 days before voting on whether to hire the finalist. She would succeed the retiring Noris Price, the 2022 Georgia Superintendent of the Year.
Brooks told the Ledger-Enquirer in an emailed interview Wednesday night she is “honored and humbled” to be selected. Beyond being a five-times larger district (Baldwin has roughly 5,000 students, ChattCo a bit more than 1,000), Brooks was attracted to this job opening for a more personal reason.
“I grew up about 45 minutes from Milledgeville, and my family still resides in the area,” she said. “To have the opportunity to return to my home area fills my heart with joy. Knowing that I can easily reach my elderly father brings me a sense of peace.”
Kristie Brooks’ tenure as ChattCo superintendent
Brooks, a 27-year educator, has been ChattCo’s superintendent since 2019. During her tenure, the district has received awards such as:
- Exemplary status from the Georgia School Boards Association
- Literacy Leader in elementary school and Math Leader in high school from the Georgia Department of Education.
- Governor’s Bronze Star for middle school.
- Military Flagship School for elementary, middle and high school.
“I am most proud of the culture of high expectations and accountability we established,” she said. “We worked together to ensure that every student had access to the resources and support needed to succeed, regardless of their background.
“Our focus on data-driven decision-making, instructional improvement and student support has led to measurable gains in student achievement and increased opportunities for post-secondary success.”
Brooks noted ChattCo’s graduation rate consistently has been over 91%, and the state’s latest standardized tests showed more than 80% of the district’s third-graders and eighth-graders reading on or above grade level.
“This summative data is only a small reflection of the amazing work occurring in classrooms across ChattCo,” she said. “It has been incredibly rewarding to see the impact of those efforts on students’ lives. More students are graduating high school prepared to truly be productive contributors in society.”
Although she is proud of ChattCo’s progress, Brooks said, “I wish that I had placed an even greater focus on developing leadership capacity at the teacher level. Strong teacher leadership is essential for sustaining long-term improvement. While we made strides in providing professional development and growth opportunities, I regret not having done more to create structured pathways for aspiring teacher-leaders.”
If the Baldwin board approves her hiring, Brooks plans to start there in June “to have the opportunity to shadow and collaborate with the retiring superintendent.
“At this time, we still have work to do in ChattCo, and I am committed to fulfilling those responsibilities to ensure our schools are meeting the needs of all students as well as preparing for the upcoming school year.”
Brooks expressed confidence in the ChattCo school district’s ability to keep the progress going.
“I have no doubt that the incredible work, dedicated teachers, and supportive culture of ChattCo will continue to thrive under new leadership,” she said. “… ChattCo is more than just a district. It is a family, and that foundation of care and excellence will carry forward. I am forever grateful to have had a small part in the work that is done there.”
ChattCo school board chairman’s reaction
Chattahoochee County Board of Education Chairman Aaron Shillig had mixed feelings when he heard the news of Brooks’ pending departure.
“As a friend, I am excited for Kristie and her family to be back home,” he told the Ledger-Enquirer in an emailed interview Wednesday night. “As the board chair. I am sad that she is going to be leaving us.”
Shillig praised her leadership.
“No doubt about it,” he said, “Kristie was what the system needed to become what we are today. … Baldwin county is very wise in making this move, Kristie is a great leader and will take that district to the next level. Her contributions to the ChattCo family will be missed, but we as the BOE are excited about the future of our district.”
Shillig said the board hopes to find a permanent successor in a timely manner.
“The hope is that we can have a new superintendent vetted and secured before July 1 so that we won’t have to have an interim person,” Shillig said. “However, should we need to appoint one, we would likely go with whatever Kristie recommends.”
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 3:23 PM.
