Current Decatur County School System Superintendent Dr. Fred Rayfield has been named the sole finalist for the same job in Blairsville, Georgia.

The Union County Board of Education named Rayfield the sole finalist during a called meeting on Monday morning. In accordance with state law, the board must now wait 14 days before officially offering Rayfield the position. He is expected to accept the position and begin work in Blairsville on July 1.

The announcement of the offer was made during a called meeting of the Decatur County Board of Education on Tuesday morning.

“We appreciate, very much, Dr. Rayfield’s work here for the past six years,” said Decatur County Board of Education Chairman Dr. Sydney Cochran. “He’s been dedicated to the children in our school system, has an excellent work ethic and a lot of good things have occurred. We wish him and his family the best with this move.”

Rayfield will continue working in Decatur County until end of June, according to Cochran.

“We were offered a good opportunity and the family wants to take advantage of that opportunity,” Rayfield said. “I want to publicly thank the community for their investment in us and their faith in us while we were here. The community has been good to us and we have been proud to be a part of not only the school system, but the community for the past six years.”

Cochran indicated the board would engage King-Cooper & Associates, a professional search firm, to help locate and recruit the next Decatur County Superintendent. The board used the same firm when Rayfield was hired in 2010.