GCS Superintendent Sharon Contreras will leave district for new role

Guilford County Schools Superintendent Sharon Contreras is stepping down from her post. She is leaving to become the CEO of an education-related nonprofit.

Contreras has led Guilford County Schools for the past five and a half years. She'll become the Chief Executive Officer of a nonprofit organization known as The Innovation Project or TIP.

Contreras says she's excited about working with the group because it includes a cohort of North Carolina superintendents with a focus on equity, racial disparities, and challenges during the pandemic.

She says the opportunity will also allow her to spend more time with her family.  She thanked parents, staff, the school board and the community for all of their support and says she will miss students the most.

"I love being around the students. I love being in the schools," says Contreras. "I think the work that I'm most proud of is the work that the Board of Education has done with county commissioners to get the first bond passed and seeing the designs of the first few schools."

Those projects are part of a $300 million school bond that voters approved in 2020. Contreras says she hopes the community will also support a $1.7 billion bond referendum that will be on this year's primary ballot for more infrastructure improvements in the district.

Contreras says her focus now is creating a smooth transition, keeping classrooms open, and making sure that high-quality teaching and learning is occurring with COVID-related staff shortages.

She will continue to lead Guilford County Schools through the end of the academic year and begin her new role in August.

Contreras was joined by school Board Chair Deena Hayes and Vice-Chair Winston McGregor during a press conference on Friday. They say Contreras has made a lasting impact on the district and her courageous and bold leadership will be hard to replace.

The Board of Education will meet in the coming weeks to discuss the search process.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news