The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education unexpectedly approved an interim superintendent Tuesday night.
After amending the agenda to include the action item, the board voted 8-1 to approve a contract for Randy Bridges beginning Oct. 1 through June 30.
The board shared no additional information about him or the contract in their comments during the meeting, and Bridges was not in attendance. The board agenda did not include the contract document.
According to a report from The Alamance News, Bridges served as the interim superintendent of Wake County public schools, which is the largest system in the state, in 2023.
He had led the Alamance-Burlington School System from 2006 until 2010. Bridges then served as superintendent of Stafford County Schools in Virginia until 2013, when he retired. He had a career in public schools for about three decades prior to his retirement.
Bridges will be replacing Superintendent Don Phipps, who is stepping down at the end of September.
After the meeting ended, Phipps told WFDD that Bridges has a strong reputation in the North Carolina superintendent community.
"He has done a lot of really impressive leadership development and consulting work in retirement, but in the kind of fraternity that I'm in with superintendents, I think he's very highly regarded as an individual who did great work for a long period of time," Phipps said.
Board Member Sabrina Coone was the lone vote against the contract approval. She told WFDD that Bridges wasn't her top pick, but believes he has a grasp of what central office should look like, as well as financial experience.