Escambia County Schools select Timothy Smith of Orange County as new superintendent

After a months-long, national search for a new school superintendent, the Escambia County School Board has landed on an Orlando-area high school director as the new district superintendent.

In a special meeting Tuesday night, Timothy Smith was appointed as the new superintendent in a 3-2 vote. 

Smith is currently executive area director in the high school office in the Orange County public school system. He oversees 10 high schools with a student population of 30,000 students, only 10,000 fewer than the Escambia County School District.

His experience in education dates back to 1988 and includes roles as a teacher and principal of multiple middle and high schools.

The district is set to enter contract negations immediately and has tentatively scheduled to vote on the contract Sept. 15. Smith will be the county's first appointed superintendent in modern history, following a voter-approved referendum in 2018 to change superintendent from being an elected position to an appointed one.

If negotiations proceed without issue, Smith will take the helm of the district Nov. 17 when current superintendent Malcolm Thomas retires.

More: Four finalists for Escambia County superintendent share how they would approach the job

Kevin Robinson can be reached at krobinson4@pnj.com or 850-435-8527.