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On Dec. 31, Dr. Sharon was sworn in as superintendent of the Chambers County School Board after a hard-fought election season.

Weldon was among friends and family during the swearing-in ceremony at the historic Chambers County courthouse. She was sworn in by county Probate Judge Paul Story alongside of her husband Tommy Weldon.

Of the swearing-in, Weldon told the Valley Times-News, “It was amazing. I was really nervous … and I told them at the swearing in, if you want somebody that’s a great public speaker, I may not be your girl, but if you want somebody that’s ready to roll up their sleeves and work, and that’s just very much [me], I just want to work. I just want to, you know, move the school system in a good direction. I want to help facilitate some healing in our community.”

As for looking ahead to taking office, Weldon said her main focus will be getting a look at where the school district is from her new perspective as superintendent. She said, “We’ve got some things in the school system that are working beautifully, and we have some things in the school system that I know we’re going to want to take a look at and make some adjustments, and we’re just going to do that. We’re going to do it together.”

Weldon has worked in the school district for many years, 11 of them in the central office and most recently, returning to the classroom to teach.

She ran as the Republican candidate in the primaries against incumbent Dr. Casey Chambley, who recently held his final school board meeting as superintendent. During the November election, Weldon again beat out her Democratic opponent, Dr. Winford Ashmore. She enjoyed the highest turnout of any local candidate race in November.

“To the community, I want to thank them for the trust, the overwhelming and humbling trust, and confidence that I think the vote says that they have in me,” Weldon said. “And to the students, I just want us to all work together to be a place where schools where we want to be, and we realize the connection between what the schools are doing and the plans they have for the rest of their lives.”