—Staff writer Tammy Joyner contributed to this article.
The Clayton County Board of Education named Luvenia Jackson interim superintendent Monday night.
Jackson will lead the 51,000-student Clayton County district after Superintendent Edmond Heatley’s departure at the end of the month.
Jackson, who retired in 2009, served more than 30 years in Clayton’s public school system as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent and in other roles, the school board said in a news release.
“I am very excited to once again have an opportunity to serve the students and families of Clayton County in an official capacity,” Jackson said. “This community has been a huge part of who I am for virtually all of my adult life. I am honored.”
Heatley, the district’s eighth superintendent since 2000, announced his resignation Aug. 29. He is expected to become head of the school system in Berkeley, Calif.
During his stint in Clayton County, he helped the school district regain full accreditation and contributed to balancing the budget. But his tenure was not without controversy. He clashed with some school board members and was criticized because his wife and two children were on the Clayton school payroll while teachers were facing layoffs.