Sandhills Regional Education Consortium

LUMBERTON — The Public Schools of Robeson County’s Superintendent has been named the 2024-2025 Regional Superintendent of the Year for the Sandhills Region (Region 4).

Dr. Freddie Williamson, the 2024-2025 Regional Superintendent of the Year for the Sandhills Region, will move on to the state-level competition for the A. Craig Phillips State Superintendent of the Year Award along with the remaining seven region representatives.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to represent the Sandhills Region as the 2024-2025 Regional Superintendent of the Year,” said PSRC Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson.

“Leadership matters and it has been my honor to pour into the lives of others throughout my career. I believe investing in others matters and it takes everyone working together with a common goal to achieve student success. I am grateful to God for this opportunity to continue this great calling on my life and to represent Region 4,” Williamson said.

Each year superintendents in the Sandhills Regional Education Consortium select from among its 13 leaders a superintendent who has demonstrated exemplary leadership to serve as its regional superintendent of the year and compete for the title of state superintendent of the year.

“It is with great pleasure and a great deal of pride that we announce Dr. Freddie Williamson to represent the Sandhills Region as the 2024-2025 Regional Superintendent of the Year.  Dr. Williamson is considered a Leader among Leaders and he has the highest respect among his peers in the Sandhills and colleagues across this state,” said Dr. Ron Hargrave, Executive Director of the Sandhills Regional Education Consortium.

Since the start of his superintendency in Robeson County in 2020, Dr. Williamson has focused on growing the leadership capacity of principals as instructional leaders in their school buildings. Under his leadership, the school district has implemented curricula, practices and a framework of support to improve student learning outcomes. As a result, the district’s students are recovering from COVID-19 learning loss at a faster pace than the state. In addition, Williamson has worked tirelessly with his team as PSRC became a pilot for North Carolina to implement a model to enhance instructional leadership.

Williamson has nearly 40 years of service in public education and is well-respected for his transformational leadership style. He formerly served as Superintendent of Hoke County Schools. Dr. Williamson also has experience serving as a Principal, Director of Secondary School Education/Accountability, and Director of Personnel in Sampson County Public Schools. He also previously worked in the Scotland County Schools Central Office as an Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, Auxiliary Services, and Student Support Services.

Highlights from Dr. Williamson’s tenure as PSRC Superintendent:

●      PSRC students made gains in the 2022-2023 school year with 72% of schools meeting or exceeding growth.

●      The district received $62 million in grant awards from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund for the construction of the Robeson County Career and Technical Education Center, Planetarium, and Science Center. The $72 million project was funded through collaborative efforts at the local and state levels.

●      PSRC received the Migrant Education Program Continuous Program Improvement Award.

●      PSRC received the 2023-2024 Migrant Education Outstanding Program Award from NCDPI.

●      The school district received the Cognia Values Driven Award of Excellence.

●      Williamson received the NCHSAA Region 4 Charlie Adams Distinguished Service Award.

●      Governor Roy Cooper appointed Williamson in 2023 to the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

●      Williamson was awarded the North Carolina Association of School Administrators’ (NCASA) 2024 Raymond Sarbaugh Leadership Award during the NCASA 2024 Conference on Educational Leadership.

Link to PSRC Announcement