Interim Superintendent Named To Permanent Job At Paulding Schools

PAULDING COUNTY, GA — The Paulding County School District Board of Education named Steve Barnette, interim superintendent, to the permanent role Tuesday after he was named the sole finalist for the position in October.

Barnette has been serving in the interim capacity since June 1 after former Superintendent Brian Otott retired following 31 years of service to the district. Before becoming the interim superintendent, Barnette served as the district's chief financial officer since 2013.

“Mr. Barnette is a very capable leader who is tightly connected to this community. As interim superintendent, he led a smooth opening to the school year despite the pandemic and implemented a comprehensive operations plan that has served our schools and our community well. He has helped restore a sense of normalcy to our classrooms,” School Board Chairman Jeff Fuller said in a news release.

Additionally, Barnette was the director of accounting services for the Cobb County School District from 2011-12; senior vice president and chief financial officer for NuLink from 2008-10; chief financial officer for Integrated Broadband Services from 2004-07; and vice president, chief financial officer and controller for Prestige Communications from 1989-2002, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In late October, the school board named Barnette the sole finalist for the permanent job. Georgia law requires that at least 14 days pass between a candidate being named a finalist and the appointment becoming official.

“We have seen Steve’s business acumen for years,” Fuller said, “and now, we have also seen his attention to student learning and success. That will be especially important as we begin the process of drafting the next five-year strategic plan for our schools. Mr. Barnette has an excellent leadership team in place to help guide that process.”

Barnette and his family have called Paulding County home for the last 20 years, according to a news release from the district. His wife, Tracy, is a career educator and teacher at Burnt Hickory Elementary School. They are parents to five children, four of which came through the Paulding school district.

“It is a tremendous honor be the next superintendent of the Paulding County School District,” Barnette said. “I want to thank the Board of Education for having confidence in me to lead this growing school district. There are so many great things happening in our schools, and our students and our staff continue to shine every day. I look forward to working with our entire school community as we collaborate to meet the challenges ahead.”

Related:

• Steve Barnette Named Sole Finalist For Paulding Superintendent
• Interim Superintendent Named By Paulding County Schools