The Fayette County School Board has tapped Dallas-area superintendent Dr. Demetrus Liggins to be the next leader of the district.
Friday marked the end of an exhaustive five-month national search process to find a replacement for former Superintendent Manny Caulk, who passed away suddenly in December. Board chair Tyler Murphy said, of the five finalists, Liggins displayed the best mix of experience and commitment necessary to take the reins in the district.
"We felt like, as a board team, that Dr. Liggins was the right fit at this time for Fayette County Public Schools," Murphy said.
Topping the to-do list for Liggins is a listening tour as he works to chart the district's path out of the pandemic and back onto a more predictable course.
"The main thing is to make sure we're transitioning out of COVID," Liggins explained. "Our students have experienced quite a difficult year and so has our staff, so making sure that we have things in place to where everyone is comfortable returning to what may be the new normal."
The board is set to negotiate a contract with the incoming superintendent with the goal of having him officially in the job by the start of school in the fall.
Liggins has served as superintendent of Greenville Independent Schools outside of Dallas, Texas since 2016. He's also worked as a Spanish teacher and an elementary, middle, and high school principal.
