Lowndes County School Board names new superintendent

LOWNDES COUNTY, Ga. (WCTV) - The Lowndes County School Board has announced Dr. J. Shawn Haralson as the school system’s next superintendent.

According to a Facebook post from the school district, Haralson has served as the superintendent for Ben Hill County Schools for the past six years. He has worked in the education field for 24 years, the district says.

Under his leadership, the Ben Hill County School District was named the 2021 Georgia Charter System of the Year. That district introduced new, successful programs, like college and career work-ready graduation and senior capstones, the post says.

Before his time at Ben Hill, Haralson held several positions in Screven and Bulloch counties. He was the principal of five different schools in those two districts.

LCS says he has also served as an adjunct professor for Valdosta State University and Georgia Southern University.

“State law requires the board to make public the names of finalists no fewer than 14 days before the board votes on a hire,” the post says. “At a called meeting on May 24 at 6 in the Performing Arts Center at Lowndes High School, the board will vote and name Haralson as the new superintendent.”

Current LCS Superintendent Wes Taylor will retire on July 1, the post says. He held that position for 10 years and was an educator for nearly four decades.