The Moore County Board of Education has named Dr. Tim Locklair, the district’s Chief Officer for Academic and Student Support Services, as interim superintendent for Moore County Schools effective Feb. 1, 2022.
On Oct. 29, Dr. Bob Grimesey, the district’s current superintendent announced he will retire after more than seven years as superintendent. His last day with MCS will be Jan. 31.
Locklair graduated from Pinecrest High School in 1991. After graduating from Western Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science in education, he returned to Pinecrest to teach U.S. history, psychology and sociology, and coached football and baseball. He later became the assistant principal of the school in charge of instruction.
“I am proud to be a product of Moore County Schools,” said Locklair. “This is my home and I am humbled and honored by the confidence the Board of Education has placed on me to lead the district during this critical transition.”
In 2002, Locklair moved on to become principal at West Middle School in Montgomery County, and then Apex Middle School and Holly Springs High Schools in Wake County. During that time, he implemented a philosophical approach to professional development known as Professional Learning Communities that resulted in those schools achieving High Growth Status and recognized as either a School of Excellence or School of Distinction.
In 2014, Locklair was named area superintendent of Western Wake County for Wake County Schools. In this role, he has had direct supervision of 26 schools (18 elementary, five middle and three high schools), encompassing more than 2,000 employees and nearly 27,000 students in the Cary and Morrisville areas of Wake County.
Since returning home to MCS in 2016, he has had oversight of the departments of technology, exceptional children services, student support services, curriculum and instruction, federal programs, career and technical education and school improvement.
“Dr. Locklair’s breadth and depth of experience, and his intimate knowledge of Moore County Schools, our staff, our culture and our students, makes him the right person to lead the district during this time,” said Board of Education Vice Chair Libby Carter.
In addition to his bachelor’s degree, Locklair holds a Master of School Administration degree and an Educational Doctorate from East Carolina University. He is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the North Carolina Association of School Administrators.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
