SMITHFIELD – Dr. Eric Bracy was sworn in as superintendent for Johnston County Public Schools this morning (Wednesday).
The ceremony was held at JCPS Facility Services in Smithfield, where Bracy was joined by his family. The Honorable Jacquelyn L. Lee, Chief District Court Judge for the 11th Judicial District, officiated the swearing in.
School board chairman Todd Sutton introduced Dr. Bracy by saying, “It’s a new day for Johnston County Public Schools.”
“As an educator, it is an honor to be selected by the Board of Education as the superintendent of Johnston County Public Schools. As a parent, I pledge to the parents and stakeholders of this community that students will always come first in my actions. Collaboratively, I am convinced that we can make Johnston County Public Schools a model for the state and nation,” said Bracy.
Bracy has enjoyed a long and very successful career in public education spanning more than 20 years in North Carolina, including serving 12 years as a superintendent. For the past six years, since 2014, he served as superintendent of Sampson County Schools. Prior to that Bracy served as superintendent for Northampton County Schools for more than five years.
He also previously served as the executive director of student support services and as a principal for Durham Public Schools, and as a principal and assistant principal for Vance County Schools. He began his career in public education as a fourth grade teacher in Northampton County.
Bracy has an impressive academic background as well. He received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from North Carolina Central University in Durham. He went on to earn a master’s degree in education administration and supervision from Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., and a doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Bracy was recently honored with the 2020 Distinguished Educator Award by the North Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development for his contributions in the areas of curriculum and instruction. He was honored in 2017 as both the North Carolina Association of Educators Superintendent of the Year and the Southeast Education Alliance regional Superintendent of the Year. He was also a nominee for A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year in 2017.
