Xernona Thomas was named superintendent of the Clarke County School District on Thursday.
The move came on an evening when she spoke about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and apologized for a recent statement that high school students would remain in virtual learning when classes begin in 2021.
“That was an error on our part and we apologize for all the stress and anxiety it has caused everyone,” she said, adding that the district would work to “to get those students back” in school buildings.
Thomas, an Athens native who graduated Clarke Central High School, spoke during a virtual Clarke County Board of Education meeting Thursday evening.