Sampson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jamie King is still getting used to the title he earned in late May, that of the Sandhills Regional Superintendent of the Year for 2026-27.
While he said the nod was a tremendous honor, he pointed to his teachers, staff and administrators as the real reason the county school system is seeing emerging success.
“It takes all of us. I wish we could chisel my name off of there, maybe, and just put ‘Sampson County Schools,’ because I don’t want anyone to think it’s just my work, because it’s not,” King said in a recent interview.
Like the Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year programs, King will now submit a portfolio and participate in an interview alongside the other regional Superintendents of the Year with the state’s Superintendent of the Year be chosen and announced during the quarterly superintendents’ meeting in Greensboro this October.
Now preparing to begin his fourth year as leader of the county schools, King previously spent 21 years with Guilford County Schools, where he served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, regional superintendent and principal supervisor before taking the helm of his first school system.
The new school year has already been in full swing for King this summer. His schedule has been filled with meetings with principals, hiring staff and making final preparations for students to return to the classroom later this month.
He took time on a recent Thursday morning to discuss how the Regional Superintendent of the Year is selected, the process of advancing to the state and potentially national level, what the recognition means to him and what led to the honor.
Sampson County Schools is part of the Sandhills Region, consisting of 15 schools across 12 districts. Each year, district superintendents within the region nominate and elect one superintendent to represent the region as Superintendent of the Year.
King’s colleagues and fellow district superintendents selected him to represent the region earlier in the year, with the announcement being made in May.
The School Superintendents Association, formerly known as the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), will hold its national conference in February, where all state winners will be recognized and the National Superintendent of the Year will be selected. State superintendents will also participate in panel discussions and share their experiences. This year’s conference will be held in Atlanta.
King said he was truly humbled to receive such an honor but, again, was quick to credit those around him for the success he and the school system is experiencing, with record graduation rates and improving test scores. He said he wishes everyone in Sampson County Schools could receive the recognition since, in his opinion, they are deserved the accolade.
“I get the pleasure of working with a lot of great people, so although it’s my name that’s getting the recognition, there are a lot of people behind the scenes who are doing hard work. I had a leadership meeting yesterday with principals, and the principals are doing the best they can to lead their schools. I know that teachers work hard in their classrooms to educate kids; kids come to school every day and do their best.”
King said Sampson County Schools’ success is the result of a collective effort and that he wishes the entire district could be recognized for the award.
“There are a lot of people putting their blood, sweat and tears into making Sampson County Schools the best place for every kid,” King added. “It’s a lot of people, not just me.”