Hall sworn in as Laurens school superintendent

With his wife, daughters and other family looking on, O.J. Hall took the oath as Laurens County’s new school superintendent during a ceremony last week at the Old West Laurens School.

His daughter held the Bible while  Hall was sworn in by Laurens County Superior Court Judge Trey Taylor. 

“I want to thank everybody for coming out to show love and support,” Hall said. “I appreciate all of the thank you’s, but as I continue to have said since October, I appreciate the prayers even more, and the continued prayers. I’m a firm believer that people have to give you permission to lead them, so I’m thankful for the Laurens County educators and the students in the community and this great board of education who has afforded me this opportunity to lead.” 

He acknowledged that leadership comes with sacrifice and is thankful for his wife, Erica, and their two daughters, Mya and Morgan, and his parents, sisters, in-laws and family. 

“I wouldn’t be up here without them,” said Hall, who asked his family to stand and be recognized. “I am thankful for them.” 

Hall will take the lead position on Jan. 1, replacing Clifford Garnto who is retiring at the end of this year. During Garnto’s retirement celebration, that happened before Hall was sworn in, he offered some words to the next LCBOE superintendent.

“To Dr. O.J. Hall, I speak Jesus over your tenure,” Garnto said. “May the Lord keep and bless you.”

Hall will be the first Black superintendent for the Laurens County Board of Education. 

“It’s meaningful, and I’m grateful to those who came before me and whose shoulders I stand on,” he said. “I’m grateful my family was able to witness this moment in history, but my responsibility is to the entire community. When we unite and come together to do what is best for kids, we can reach unlimited levels of success for our community.” 

Hall thanked his brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and his Prince Hall Mason brothers who were in attendance.

“They were the first individuals who taught me how to run a meeting under Robert’s Rules of Order,” Hall said. “I have learned a lot from both of those organizations and those men.”

He also thanked the educators in the community and those who had walked along side of him on what he called his “leadership journey. 

“I look forward to upholding everything that was in that oath,” Hall said. “I look forward to serving and I look forward to continuing on the great success that will be built on the strong foundation that Mr. Garnto has laid. I’m supper excited and I look forward to leading this great community.” 

Taylor was honored to swear in Hall.

“I know Dr. Hall to be a man of high integrity and just the upmost character,” Taylor said. “Members of the board, you have made an incredibly wise decision in choosing him to be the man to lead the Laurens County School System moving forward.” 

Former WLHS Principal Hugh Kight hired Hall out of college.

“He started teaching and coaching for us,” Kight said. “He has been a great asset for Laurens County. I’m proud to have seen him grow up and be a superintendent. It is a good thing that he has been on both the East and West sides. It is good for him to have been in both of those communities.”

Board members Chairman Jarvis Wilcher, vice-chai Tony Johnson, Kevin Malone, Kenny Payne and Kathy Sweat watched Hall take his oath.

“He is very innovative,” Wilcher said about Hall. “I do think he will continue to lead us in the right direction that we need to go as a district and bring in more light to the great things that we have here to offer in Laurens County.”  

Hall was born and raised in Laurens County, graduating from West Laurens High School in 2002. He went to Georgia Southern University, where he graduated with an undergraduate degree in history education, and he also graduated from Georgia College & State University, where he obtained his master’s at educational specialist degree in educational leadership. He returned to GSU for his doctorate in education and curriculum studies.

He returned to WLHS where he taught U.S. history, American government and world history before becoming the assistant principal and head basketball coach there. He became the principal at East Laurens Middle in 2015 before serving as ELHS principal from 2016-2018 before being principal only at the high school for 2019 and beginning of 2020.

“I’ve worked on both sides,” Hall said. “I have strong roots invested in both of those communities.”

Payne believes Hall will do “very well.” 

“A lot of people like him and I think he can deliver the message very effectively,” Payne said. “One of the good things he had going for him is he was principal at East Laurens High and he had worked a long time on the Westside and rose through the ranks and did a very good job at all of the places he has been. He is very well liked by the community and especially the students.” 

Recently, Hall received his contract of $190,000 to be the system’s superintendent. He has been in the Laurens County School District for 20 years. The superintendent role, though, was never on his radar.

“I have done so many things in this district that I fell in love with,” Hall said. “When I was the head basketball coach and assistant principal at West Laurens, I could have stopped there and been forever grateful with that. But God saw fit to continue to allow others to see me (in other roles). And the board of education saw potential in me to be the next superintendent. It has been quite the journey and I’ve been grateful and thankful to God for all of it.

“People say if you really want to hear God laugh just tell him your plan,” he added. “That would really be my story. I love history, and I love sports. I was at peace and grateful for that season. I thought that was something I would do for a long time. God and other leaders saw something in me that pushed me forward to what I am today. We never know the steps the Lord will have for us, and we have to be open and in tune to listen to Him.”