JoCo superintendent is leaving. Eric Bracy will now lead Cumberland County.
Johnston County Superintendent Eric Bracy is leaving his job after five years to become the new superintendent of Cumberland County Schools.
The Cumberland County school board hired Bracy at a special meeting on Tuesday to replace Marvin Connelly, who is retiring at end of the school year. Bracy was credited for raising test scores in Johnston County and bringing financial and leadership stability to a troubled district.
In a message sent to Johnston County families and school employees Tuesday, Bracy called his five years as superintendent “among the most fulfilling chapters of my professional journey.”
“Serving as your superintendent has been a true honor,” Bracy said in the message. “I will carry the lessons and memories from Johnston County with me always. While I look forward to this new opportunity, I remain incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished together!”
Cumberland County said Bracy will start his new job on July 1 or later, depending on when Johnston County releases him from his contract. .
“The district has not announced next steps as the board is still deliberating on the matter,” a Johnston County spokesperson said in an email Wednesday. “No interim has been announced. Dr. Bracy will continue to serve as Superintendent of JCPS through June 30, 2025.”
Johnston County has 37,000 students and is North Carolina’s seventh-largest district. Cumberland County has 48,000 students and is the state’s fifth-largest district.
Academic gains in Johnston County
Bracy was hired by the Johnston County school board in May 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic. The district was in leadership turmoil after Ross Renfrow resigned as superintendent and James Causby resigned as interim superintendent, citing “interference” from the school board.
Cumberland County cited Johnston County’s academic gains as a major reason for hiring Bracy. According to some measures, Johnston County has fully recovered academically at a time when many districts are still performing below pre-pandemic levels.
In the most recent school year, 89% of Johnston County’s 48 schools earned school performance grades of A, B or C. The number of low-performing schools decreased from 14 to just one during Bracy’s tenure.
Student achievement improved across the district, with 33 schools exceeding academic growth expectations and 30 ranking in the top 20% statewide for academic growth.
“Together, we have made tremendous strides in academic achievement — rising from 83rd to 35th in the state —which speaks volumes about the shared commitment and dedication throughout our school community,” Bracy said in the message. “Not only that, but our achievement has garnered us the title of a top-performing district, a distinction Johnston County so richly deserves.”
The district’s success helped lead to Bracy being named the Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance Superintendent of the Year. He was among eight finalists for the 2024-25 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year award.
Bracy applied to leave Johnston County
Bracy has led while dealing with a contentious school board.
Multiple school board members have sued each other with members nearly coming to blows at one board meeting.
Ronald Johnson was censured and later convicted of extortion charges and removed from the school board. The son of school board member Michelle Antoine created a Facebook parody page called “Ronald Johnson’s Prison Cell Phone” to mock other board members and local elected officials.
A bill approved by the state Senate would make school board races in Johnston County partisan starting in 2026.
Bracy had been actively seeking positions in other school districts.
Earlier this month, Bracy was announced as a finalist for superintendent of the Rock Hill School District in South Carolina. But the district opted to hire a different person.
Cumberland County said it had a “highly competitive pool of applicants.” In a district news release, Bracy said he was “deeply honored to serve as the next superintendent.”
“This district has made tremendous progress, and I am excited to work alongside the Board, staff, families and community partners to build on that momentum,” Bracy said in the news release. “My family and I are thrilled to begin this next chapter and look forward to becoming an engaged and visible part of the CCS community. I’m ready to get to work and help move the district to even greater heights.”
