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New Hanover County Schools selects interim superintendent

NHC school board on July 2, 2024
Rachel Keith
/
WHQR
NHC school board on July 2, 2024

In a specially called meeting on Thursday, the board of education chose Dr. Christopher Barnes — who has been acting superintendent since Dr. Charles Foust was fired earlier this summer — to be the new interim superintendent. A search for a permanent replacement is still in the works.

In a unanimous vote, the New Hanover County School Board chose Dr. Christopher Barnes to be the new interim superintendent.

Barnes was made acting superintendent following the board's dismissal of Dr. Charles Foust in July. Barnes joined New Hanover County Schools in 2021 and previously served as the assistant superintendent of human resources.

Barnes accepted the nomination and thanked the district for their support.

"We have good principals in this district. We have good teachers in this district, we have good staff in this district, and we're going to work collaboratively to make things even better," he said.

The decision is effective immediately, but Barnes will be officially sworn in during the board's meeting on September 3rd. The board is still working on longer-range plans to hire a new permanent superintendent.