This has been updated from an earlier version.

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — The Social Circle Board of Education looked inward and named its current associate superintendent as sole finalist for the job leading the city school system.

The Board Thursday night, Sept. 8, announced it selected Carrie Booher as the sole finalist for the position of superintendent to succeed Robbie Hooker. 

Booher, the school system's current associate superintendent, will assume full responsibilities as superintendent effective Oct. 10 if the Board gives final approval to her new position later this month. 

She will succeed Robbie Hooker, who was hired as superintendent of Clarke County School System in August after leading Social Circle City Schools since 2019.

Booher said in a statement, “I love working in the Social Circle City Schools!" 

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue our great work to empower students with an excellent and equitable education," she said. 

"Our system is blessed to have tremendous family, staff and community support. I look forward to working with our governance team to focus all of our decisions on placing students’ needs first in order to continue the significant improvements we have made under Dr. Hooker’s leadership. 

"While we will sincerely miss his daily presence, his influence will be felt for a long time in this district,” Booher said.

The school board "has carefully weighed options for filling this crucial role" since Hooker announced his hiring by Clarke County School District, a news release stated. 

Board Chairman John Callahan said Booher "has a strong history of providing leadership in our district with a keen focus on what is best for students." 

"She has successfully supported our progress on many strategic priorities,” Callahan said. “The Board is excited about the direction of learning in Social Circle City Schools under Dr. Booher’s leadership. 

"We are also grateful for Dr. Hooker’s leadership in directing the district through extremely challenging times and his presence will be sincerely missed at all of our schools.” 

Booher has risen up the administrative ranks of the four-school district, which has about 1,950 students.

She came to Social Circle in 2014 as principal of Social Circle High School and was named assistant superintendent in June 2018. She was given the additional title of associate superintendent in mid-2021.

Booher began her career in education as a school counselor in Gwinnett County Public Schools in 1996 and "has been working to remove barriers to learning for students in various roles and positions ever since," the release stated. 

In 2000, she served as an assistant principal on special assignment to the Office of Research and Accountability in the Division of Organizational Advancement in Gwinnett schools. In 2002, she led the Office of Student Academic Support & Advisement as director of the counseling and advisement programs. 

Booher also served as an assistant principal at South Gwinnett and Grayson high schools before being hired as Social Circle High School principal in 2014.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Georgia, she earned a master’s degree in school counseling from Georgia State University and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Georgia. 

She attended South Gwinnett High School in Snellville.  

Booher and husband, Paul, are parents of a son, a 2022 graduate of Social Circle High; and a daughter who is a current Social Circle High student.