Oconee County School Board Selects Nationally Proven Educator and Visionary Leader as Superintendent
Oconee County, SC — The School District of Oconee County announces Anthony Smith as its next Superintendent of Schools, marking a decisive step toward innovation, instructional excellence, and future-ready learning for all students across the district.
The depth of Smith’s experience affirms him as a tried-and-true educator who understands what it takes to succeed in the trenches- instructionally, operationally, and culturally. Smith brings more than three decades of experience in public education, including 11 years as a classroom math teacher, grounding his leadership in firsthand knowledge of the daily realities teachers face. In addition to his classroom experience, Smith served as K–12 Director of Mathematics in Gwinnett County, providing him with direct elementary, middle, and high school instructional leadership experience. In this role, he led districtwide curriculum alignment and instructional systems, ensuring coherence and rigor across all grade levels. Smith later served as Cluster Superintendent in Gwinnett County, directly supervising 15 schools and nearly 30,000 students.
During a due diligence visit to Gwinnett County, trustees met with district and school leaders across four schools Smith helped either open, support, or scale. Most notable of their visits were the innovative early elementary education program at Meadowcreek High School, as well as McClure Health Science High School, Paul Duke STEM High School and the national model of innovation AI themed Seckinger High School.
“Our visit to Gwinnett County reframed our understanding of what is possible,” says Dr. Meghan Ketterman. “We went to learn more about a candidate and returned having gained insight about a visionary leader, strategic thinker, and respected professional whose impact is visible at every level of their system. Together, these visits helped us understand Smith’s extensive ability to connect strong early learning foundations with academics spanning from the K-12 classroom to Career and Technical Education initiatives. In these roles, he was not merely an overseer; he was a vision-caster and implementation leader. He played a central role in conceptualizing, launching, staffing, and sustaining some of the district’s most innovative Career and Technical Education and STEM school models.” Colleagues consistently described Mr. Smith as a visionary and strategic thinker, a collaborative leader who pushes educators toward forward-thinking practice, a trusted thought partner and problem-solver, and an energizing presence who elevates both student and teacher experiences.
Mr. Smith resides in Townville with his wife, Rebecca. Together, they have two daughters, Megan (husband, Ridge) and Allison. In his current role as Instructional Superintendent of Secondary Instruction with the School District of Oconee County, he has been instrumental in implementing our Professional Learning Communities and we are already seeing the positive work happening with student outcomes under his leadership over the past two years.
This decision reflects our belief that Oconee County is standing at the edge of greatness. With Anthony Smith’s leadership, instructional credibility, and proven ability to turn vision into reality, we are not simply maintaining status quo — we are launching into a new era for our students and community. Smith’s appointment affirms the Board’s commitment to innovation with integrity, excellence with accountability, and a clear ambition: to position the School District of Oconee County among the very best in South Carolina.
