Gaston County Schools names new superintendent
Gaston County Schools looked within the organization in the search for a new superintendent.
During a special meeting on Monday, the Board of Education approved the appointment of Dr. Morgen Houchard as the new superintendent of Gaston County Schools.
Houchard was most recently the executive director for auxiliary services and interim executive director for human resources for Gaston County Schools.
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“We are pleased to have Dr. Morgen Houchard as the next leader of Gaston County Schools. During his successful career in public education, Dr. Houchard has proven time and time again that he possesses the knowledge, skills, and expertise to serve as our superintendent,” said Board of Education chairman Jeffrey K. Ramsey. “We are extremely confident that he will be able to take us in a new direction.”
He came to the district in April 2016 after serving as assistant superintendent for Mitchell County Schools.
“When I first arrived in Gaston County Schools, it did not take long for me to realize and understand that this school system is a family,” Houchard said. “The sense of togetherness here is incredible, and it is what makes working in Gaston County special.”
Ramsey said Houchard has experience in many facets of public schooling, making him the ideal person for the job.
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He’s served as a teacher and administrator with experience in curriculum, accountability, bus transportation, child nutrition, technology, school safety, and more.
Houchard earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UNC-Asheville. He attended Western Carolina University for his master’s degree in school administration before earning a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from East Tennessee.
His annual salary as Gaston County Schools’ eighth superintendent will be $210,000.
Houcherd’s first official day is Feb. 19.
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