The administrator of a Middle Georgia school district is up for a significant national accolade.

Dublin City Schools Superintendent Frederick C. Williams is among four administrators vying for the National Superintendent of the Year award by the School Superintendents Association. The winner will be announced during the organization’s conference Thursday in San Diego. Williams was selected as Georgia Superintendent of the Year in November.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m proud to have the chance to represent the students, staff, and families that make up Dublin City Schools on the national stage,” Williams said in a news release upon being chosen a national finalist. “This recognition speaks to the work we’ve been doing day in and day out to reach our goal of high achievement and success for all students.” There are five schools and 2,284 students in Dublin, a charter district within Laurens County.

Williams started in Dublin schools as a teacher and coach in 1993 and later worked as an assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent, according to the district website. He took the district’s top job in 2015, becoming its first black superintendent. Dublin was selected as Georgia’s top charter district in 2019.

Under Williams’ leadership, Dublin’s graduation rate has grown by more than 27 percentage points, reaching 97.7% in 2023, the district reports. His goal is for “all students to be effective communicators, problem solvers, and lifelong learners,” according to the district website.

Programs available to Dublin students include an all-day gifted school, alternative paths to graduation, a college and career academy, an International Baccalaureate, and a choice between two themed elementary schools: one for leadership, environmental awareness, and public service and one for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

Williams attended Clark Atlanta University and holds advanced degrees from Troy University and Nova Southeastern University.

The other candidates are Joe Gothard of Saint Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minnesota; Martha Salazar-Zamora of the Tomball Independent School District in Tomball, Texas; and Kimberly Rizzo Saunders of Contoocook Valley School District in Peterborough, N.H.