Rodney Trice named new Superintendent for Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools, starting July 1

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Board of Education has a new Superintendent. 

2025-06-06

The board unanimously voted Thursday to appoint Rodney Trice as the next Superintendent of the district. 

Trice, who has a doctorate in educational leadership, currently serves as the district’s Superintendent for Teaching & Learning.

He harbors more than 27 years of experience in local and state-level educational leadership, bringing “a steadfast commitment to student success, staff and family relationships and community engagement.”

He will start his role as Superintendent July 1, succeeding Nyah Hamlett, who has served in the role since 2021. 

Trice has lived in Chapel Hill for nearly 18 years.

“It's deeply meaningful to have the honor of serving my community,” said Trice, in a press release. “This community has shaped my children. It’s shaped the careers of my wife and I. So I view the superintendency as a way to continue giving back to the community I’ve proudly called home for nearly two decades.”

Trice returned to CHCCS as Chief Equity and Engagement Officer in 2021 and was promoted to Deputy Superintendent in 2022, after a former seven-year stint in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) as Assistant Superintendent for Equity Affairs.

Prior to WCPSS, Trice worked in CHCCS as the Executive Director for Curriculum, Instruction and Technology, and later as Associate Superintendent for Student & Social Services and Equity Oversight.

Combined, he has served as a leader in CHCCS for more than 12 years. 

His previous experiences include serving as a policy advisor for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, an associate principal in Orange County Schools and as a classroom science teacher, department chair and director in Detroit, where he began his career in education. 

When asked what can be expected of him as Superintendent, Trice said he can be expect to be “someone who is approachable, open and transparent - and who’s ready to roll up their sleeves and be a full partner in tackling challenges.”

“If our system isn’t working for a student, a family or a teacher, I want them to feel comfortable reaching out and saying, ‘Rodney, this isn’t working,’” said Trice. “People can expect me to listen deeply and work collaboratively to find real solutions that move us forward.”