Loudoun To Name Interim Schools Chief As Nationwide Search Begins

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — The Loudoun County School Board plans to name an interim superintendent when outgoing county schools chief Eric Williams officially tenders his resignation, the school board said Tuesday in a letter to the school community.

The interim superintendent will lead the Loudoun County Public Schools system until a permanent superintendent is hired by the school board in the coming months.

On Monday, Williams was named the sole finalist for superintendent of the Clear Creek Independent School District in Texas. Under Texas law, the Clear Creek Independent School District's Board of Trustees must wait a minimum of 21 days to make Williams' appointment official.

The Clear Creek Independent School District serves about 42,000 students in the Houston metropolitan area, while Loudoun County serves about 82,000 students.

Williams has served as Loudoun’s school superintendent since 2014, following the retirement of Edgar Hatrick who held the post for 22 years.

"School districts of our size and complexity usually conduct a methodical, nationwide search for a Superintendent, in conjunction with an education executive search firm and stakeholder committees," the Loudoun County School Board said in its letter. "We will release more information about the process when it is finalized."

LCPS administrators will "remain focused on delivering equitable, caring and engaging learning experiences to each of our students" during the search for a new superintendent, the school board said.

During his time as superintendent, Loudoun County schools opened three academies in the areas of advanced technology and STEM and three computer science immersion schools in elementary education. LCPS enrollment grew by 9,000 students and 11 campuses during Williams’ six-and-a-half-year tenure.

Earlier this year, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam named Williams to the state's COVID-19 Education Work Group. In September, the Loudoun County School Board unanimously passed the school system’s multi-year comprehensive equity plan, an effort that Williams championed.