Hillsborough County Public Schools has a new superintendent.
Jeff Eakins officially took the helm Wednesday to lead the eighth largest school district in the country.
To mark his first day, Eakins laid out his vision for the district: preparing students for life.
"It really kind of says it all in four words," Eakins said. "It says our role as an organization is not singular, it's not academic in nature, it's way more than that."
In an effort to be transparent, Eakins also unveiled the district's ambitious agenda.
It includes putting more of a focus on students, connecting them to the workforce early on and boosting the high school graduation rate over the next three years.
"And that's going to take a heavy lift, I tell you because turning graduation rates on a dime is a very difficult take but we're going to accept that challenge," Eakins said.
The district's agenda will also focus on school safety and boosting the morale of the employees.
"I want employees to know they're appreciated," Eakins said.
Eakins said he spent four months getting feedback from students, employees and the community.
He signed a contract to be superintendent for the next two years.
Eakins salary is $225,000 a year.