John Pace III hired as superintendent of Henry County, Georgia

John Pace III, assistant superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, has been named the next superintendent of the Henry County School District, which is part of the Greater Atlanta region.

The Henry County School District has nearly 44,000 students, 6,000 staff members, and 50 schools and a budget of approximately $561.4 million.

The decision to appoint Pace III as superintendent was made unanimously by the Henry County School Board. There is a mandatory 14-day waiting period before a contract for Dr. Pace’s new position is ratified.

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“We are extremely proud that Dr. John Pace is the sole finalist for the next Superintendent of Henry County Public Schools, Georgia,” said Jose Dotres, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

“We continue to applaud and support him through this process and through the Henry County School Board’s final confirmation of his selection as their new Superintendent,” Dotres said.

Henry County conducted a survey asking participants what qualities they were looking for in a school principal. According to Henry County Board of Trustees Chair Sophe Pope, participants wanted a principal with experience as a principal, teacher and assistant principal.

“They wanted a leader who could drive vision, culture and instructional leadership, with a background in operations, resource and people management,” Pope said.

“The most important thing was that they wanted a leader who was honest and ethical, and I believe Dr. Pace is that person,” she said.

Pace holds a doctorate in educational policy, planning and leadership from the College of William and Mary, a master’s degree in music education from Florida International University, and a bachelor’s degree in music/business finance from the University of Miami.

In his role as deputy superintendent, which he has held since 2022, he oversaw the Office of School Leadership and Performance. Prior to becoming deputy superintendent, he served as chief operating officer of school operations, Region Superintendent of the Central Region Office, and Administrative Director of the Education Transformation Office in the Division of Academic Support. He has served the district in various roles since 2015.

Before joining the district, he served as principal of the Myrtle Grove K-8 Center, assistant principal of Norland Elementary, and school administrator of the William H. Turner Technical Adult Center.

He was also a music teacher, jazz band director, and marching band director at Miami Norland Senior High School.