The search for Dr. Franklin Perry’s successor as Liberty County schools superintendent will continue.

Board members hoped to have their next superintendent in place by July 1, the start of the school system’s fiscal year, but are extending the search. They have chosen former Liberty County High School principal Debra Frazier to serve as interim superintendent.

“This board has worked hard and long and spent many hours trying to make sure that we get the right person to head this district,” board chair Verdell Jones said at the June 10 board meeting. “We realize we have to have a new superintendent by July 1. We may not make that deadline.”

Perry, who was an interim superintendent before being named the full-time superintendent in 2018, was given a two-year contract extension in 2022, taking his contract to 2025. But his contract was not renewed last fall.

One of the qualifications listed in the job notice was “a willingness to reside in Liberty County to become a visible and engaged community member.”

“He’s the friendliest superintendent ever,” Jones said of Perry. “He doesn’t meet a stranger.”

The Georgia School Boards Association is supervising the search for the school board. The application window for the position closed March 2, and the system received more than 30 applications. The school board set aside five dates to conduct interviews. “We want to make this district to know that we are working hard and diligent,” Jones said. The school system enrollment is nearly 11,000 students, and its general fund budget is almost $157 million. There are 1,400 employees in the school system.

Dr. Perry said he called to congratulate Frazier and asked the staff to work with her and the next fulltime superintendent and continue to look out for the children.

“All they need is for us to believe in them,” he said. “Yes, we should have accomplished more. But don’t let anyone tell you this is not a good school system. We need to hold our heads up and know we have done a great job. This district is in good shape.”