Columbus County Schools superintendent Deanne Meadows retiring

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Columbus County Schools will soon be looking for a new superintendent.

Deanne Meadows notified the Board of Education Monday night that she is planning to retire.

Meadows has been superintendent of Columbus County Schools since 2019, but has been an educator for more than three decades. She was a teacher in New Hanover and Pender counties and in Atlanta. She also held administrative positions in Brunswick County Schools.

In a statement, Meadows says, “I have enjoyed my five years with Columbus County Schools. We have faced many challenges, but I believe that we have accomplished a tremendous amount for the students of Columbus County. We constructed two new schools, provided curriculum and instructional resources and support to our staff and we withstood a pandemic and cyber incident which ultimately resulted in improvements in our technology and facilities. Together, we consolidated schools to allow the district to come into a positive financial situation with a fund balance of over $2.2 million where 5 years earlier it was zero. I am proud of the great partnership with Southeastern Community College and Columbus County government as well as Whiteville City Schools that we have created. We developed a robust five-year strategic plan with stakeholder input and provided avenues for better communication with internal and external stakeholders through advisory councils and town halls as examples. I am proud of what we accomplished by working together with our school community.”

Meadows’ last day will be June 30th.