Dr. Bennett Jones took the oath of office Thursday to become the next superintendent of the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District.

As his mother, Debby, watched from the front row, his wife, Jennifer, held the Bible, and his two children — Sydney and Carson — stood with him as Halifax County Magistrate Michelle Rogers administered the oath.

“I just wanted to extend thanks to Dr. Michael Williams and the entire board of trustees,” Jones said after taking the oath. “It was very apparent to me early on in the process how committed this board of trustees is and how passionate and supportive this district is of its schools.”

During the interview process, Jones said, “I went from feeling like I needed to sell myself to Roanoke Rapids, but Roanoke Rapids sold itself to me very early on in the process. This was the place I wanted to be, and my wife wanted to be. I think we can do some great things here.”

He said there are already great things in place. “My job is to come in and to enhance and continue to push it forward.”

Jones said he had a great two-day tour of the schools and facilities. “I look forward to getting out and meeting everyone else in the community and being active in the schools. I just want to thank you for the opportunity. We’re excited to be in town and look forward to working with each and every one of you.”

Jones, who will begin June 1, also spoke with local media. “I think in the first couple of days it’s really about me learning and getting out and making connections across the community, learning as much as I can about the district.”

He said he will make assessments about what’s going well in the district and what needs to be enhanced. That includes looking at data to see if it’s consistent with the needs of the district. “I think first and foremost I need to come and listen and be approachable. I need to make connections in the community before we start taking any kind of action or making changes.”

He believes data will drive decisions. “I’m an old football coach, so I’m always looking at the process. To me, the process is seeing where we are, looking at the data pieces there, and then saying what are the opportunities we have for improvement.”

Jones said school districts are always in a constant state of improvement. “It’s a way that we can look at things that are going on and how we can make them more efficient for our community and provide more support for our students.”

In visiting schools, he said he’s been “very impressed with the level of commitment from pre-K all the way to the early college and high school” and their focus on putting top-tier instructors in place in all classrooms. “I’m excited to see what this year’s results produce, and then we’ll take a look at it from there and see how we look to make changes as we move forward.”

He said the district is continuing to make strides. “We had schools that exceeded growth last year and met growth. I think we look at the opportunities to make improvements while at the same time celebrating the successes that we’re enjoying.”

Jones is already familiar with the RRGSD. “I got a chance to know this community by happenstance.”

As assistant principal at South Johnston High School, he and other officials came to talk about Power Block, which is now called Jacket Time and has become a staple at Roanoke Rapids High School. “I got to see the community early on as a visitor, and I was like, 'It’s really a neat place.' When I was writing my dissertation in 2019, Roanoke Rapids was one of the schools I circled back to and visited — looking at how things progressed since they had implemented Jacket Time.”

He is looking forward to leading a district that he says has many positive aspects, including a supportive city and a close-knit family environment. “One thing that really stood out in both of my interviews that lasted over three hours was that all nine board members were there. That’s a unique aspect, how every board member is fully involved in the process. It just showed that level of commitment. That said, they are committed to the process of finding the right person. It just fit. It felt natural, and it felt like this is where I was supposed to be.”

While he is leaving what he describes as a great job in the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, he said the Roanoke Rapids job was something he couldn’t pass up.

Jones believes a relationship with the community college is crucial — not only for economic opportunities, but from a recruitment standpoint. “They offer teacher education prep so you can get your associate degree and then matriculate into a four-year degree. I think it’s also important that we’re looking at opportunities where high school students can take college classes.”

His son is an example of that work. “He was a high school senior and has over 40 credit hours that he’s taking with him because he’s taken classes through the community colleges," Jones said. “I’m excited to work with the folks at Halifax Community College.”

HCC President Patrena Elliott has already reached out to him. “I’m excited to connect with her. It’s something that I’m passionate about and how we create opportunities for every student — whether it’s career, college, or serving in the military.”

Jones said every school district in the state is trying to figure out how to move forward in light of federal dollars that came after the pandemic ending and how they adjust to that economic climate. “Something we always want to look at is how we can be the most efficient with the dollars to ensure that we provide high-quality services to our students and community.”

That will require looking at personnel and how to ensure the system is recruiting the best and the brightest to come to Roanoke Rapids, as well as retaining them. “The number one indicator of what’s going to help recruit a high-quality teacher is a highly effective principal,” he said. “I think it’s as important as a superintendent to ensure the right people are in the right places so that our people can utilize their skills and talents to best serve our students.”

As a former coach, Jones said, “I think athletics play a crucial role in helping build identities within the schools, but really help to be an extension into the community.”

The same applies to the arts and band programs, he said. “I think it’s important that when students get into middle school and high school that they have some things to get involved in. I’m looking forward to working with our parks and recreation department and community groups to have positive experiences for all age groups.”

Sports, he said, teach life lessons. “I know it was very important to me. I would not be an educator had I not been an athlete before a coach got me into education. I think it’s important that we continue to support all aspects of it.”

Jones said it is an interesting time for North Carolina high school athletics. “With the 8A classifications, that’s got some certain positives about it. I’m excited about what the middle schools are doing. I think that’s a great opportunity to ensure the kids stay in football.”