TIFT COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) — The Tift County Board of Education has voted to terminate Superintendent Natalie Gore’s contract, and the district has not responded to questions about the decision.

The school board released the following statement:

“The following action was taken by the Tift County Board of Education during a special called meeting on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. The board’s contract with Superintendent Natalie Gore has been terminated. Jennifer Howell, Deputy Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, will serve as Acting Superintendent.”

The meeting was held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 2) at the Tift Schools Administrative Offices, located at 506 W 12th St. in Tifton.

District has not responded to questions

WALB reached out to all seven Tift County Board of Education members and the district’s public information officer for details about Gore’s firing. As of the publication of this article, none had responded.

WALB sent the district’s communications office the following questions:

• What specifically led to the decision to terminate Superintendent Gore’s employment?
• In July, Gore announced her retirement effective April 1, 2027. What changed between that announcement and the board’s decision?
• Was Gore terminated for cause? If so, what reason did the board provide?
• Was there an investigation, complaint, performance issue, or other matter that contributed to the board’s decision?
• Will Tift County taxpayers be responsible for paying any remaining salary, benefits, severance, or other compensation under Gore’s contract? If so, what is the anticipated cost?
• What does the board say to parents, employees and taxpayers questioning the stability of the district’s leadership, given this marks another superintendent leadership change for Tift County Schools in recent years?
• Will the district release additional information or documentation explaining the basis for the board’s decision?

As of publication, the district had not responded to these questions.

Parents raise concerns on social media

Parents and community members have posted questions and concerns about the decision on social media. Some mentioned the cost of the termination, with one person asking, “How much is this one going to cost?” Another suggested, “Maybe the next one should be interviewed and researched by outside counsel.”

Others questioned the timing, pointing out that Gore had announced her retirement, effective next April. One post asked, “She said she was retiring in April, so what happened to terminate her contract now?”

Several posts noted the number of recent leadership changes in the district. One person wrote that, including interim superintendents and whoever the board names as acting superintendent, the district has had five superintendents since 2019.

Superintendent announced retirement in July

The specially called meeting comes about two months after Gore announced her retirement in a letter to district stakeholders dated July 6. Gore said her retirement was effective April 1, 2027. Gore began her role as superintendent in January of 2024.

In the letter, Gore said the decision marks the conclusion of a 30-year career in education, including 22 years as an administrator and four years as superintendent of Tift County Schools.

Community members have raised staffing concerns

Some community members have raised concerns on social media in recent weeks about staffing levels at Tift County schools, saying teachers have left and classes are full within the first month of the new school year.

School board candidates react

Jerry Baker, who is running for the Tift County Board of Education in District 6, said he was surprised by the decision.

“I didn’t realize there were any real serious problems that would come to this decision,” Baker said. “She made an announcement that she was retiring in April. So I thought, well, she’s set her timeline of when she wants to depart. So I was surprised. I don’t know what reasons they have to do this. There could be something that we’re not privy to at this time. It may come out later. But I have no indication of what the problem is.”

He points to trying to change the culture.

“My vision is that we ought to try to be the school of choice in south Georgia. Now maybe we’ll never be the school of choice, but if you don’t try to be the school, then you’re setting your standards too low. So I want to set the standards very high.”

Baker previously served as interim superintendent and later as interim principal at Tift County High School before Gore was hired. He said if elected, he wants the board to define what an ideal superintendent candidate looks like, with input from the community, parents, industry leaders, and taxpayers before evaluating candidates against that standard.

San Antonio Taylor, a first-time candidate running for the District 6 seat, said he was not surprised by the decision.

“It’s been fire here. And I’m just glad that we’re going to get some closure,” Taylor said. “We’re going to be able to move the needle, and hopefully we’ll move the needle in the right direction.”

Taylor said he wants a future superintendent who is visible and accountable to the community. He also said leadership changes affect students.

“It does. It really does, being that she’s the chief, or he or she will be the chief,” Taylor said. “Anytime your leaders fall, the students are always going to feel uneasy, because all students, teachers included, principals, we all look for leaders.”

Taylor emphasizes that students are the focus.

“It’s really making sure that our tax dollars are spent for the students to be successful and not just sit in the bank. We have ample amount of time to correct the issue for these students here and the students to come. We just got to make sure the resources are spent in the right direction.”

Other candidates running for seats on the Tift County Board of Education include Lashawn Ealey, Richard Haring, Blake McRae, and Bonnie Sayles.

Four board terms expire this year

The Tift County Board of Education includes Chairperson Jonathan Jones, Vice Chairperson Marilyn Burks, Pat McKinnon, John Waddell, Jamie Hill, Sam Wright, and Rusty Harrelson.

Jones’ term began Jan. 1, 2017 and expires Dec. 31, 2028. Burks’ term began July 1, 2017 and expires Dec. 31, 2028. Waddell’s term began Aug. 1, 2016 and expires Dec. 31, 2028. McKinnon’s term began Jan. 1, 2020 and expires Dec. 31, 2026. Hill’s term began Jan. 1, 2019 and expires Dec. 31, 2026. Wright’s term began Jan. 1, 2019 and expires Dec. 31, 2026. Harrelson’s term began Jan. 1, 2019 and expires Dec. 31, 2026.

Four of the board’s seven seats — held by McKinnon, Hill, Wright, and Harrelson — reach the end of their terms Dec. 31.

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