Fulton County Schools unanimously voted Thursday morning to hire Mike Looney as their superintendent in the large Atlanta district.

Looney, 56, has led Williamson County Schools for more than nine years.

He will begin leading FCS on June 17 after signing a three-year contract.

"There is a great deal of outstanding effort going on and a vision already in place. My first job will be to evaluate what is working well and what challenges Fulton Schools have to tackle in order to improve for the future," Looney said in a release from FCS.

He did not respond to request for additional comment.

FCS announced Thursday morning that the board would hold a special meeting to take action on the appointment of Looney as the school system's next superintendent.

Following a national search, the FCS board named Looney as its sole finalist April 17.

FCS board members traveled to Williamson County to visit public schools and meet with WCS leaders and community members. During the visit, board members discussed Looney's arrest and exoneration following a 2018 incident at Franklin High, and recent backlash regarding a series of cultural competency teacher training videos that he created.

“Dr. Looney’s experience and approach are the right fit for our schools at the right time,” FCS school board President Linda Bryant said.

It is unknown if Looney submitted an application for the open position or if he was sought out.

FCS is a district of 94,000 students, more than double the size of Williamson schools.

WCS Board Chair Gary Anderson said the board will name an interim leader and discuss a transition plan at its May 20 meeting.

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Reach Amelia Ferrell Knisely at aferrell@tennessean.com, 615-210-8286 or follow @ameliaknisely on Twitter.