The board voted Tuesday to approve a four-year contract for Pruitt with an annual salary of $240,000.
Pruitt made a brief statement, saying he was humbled by the appointment and excited to help improve educational opportunities in the state.
The board voted last month to hire Pruitt to succeed Terry Holliday, who retired in August. Associate Commissioner Kevin Brown has been serving as interim commissioner.
Pruitt has been an educator in Georgia and most recently senior vice president of an independent education reform organization, Achieve Inc., where he has been
since 2010.
He is expected to begin work in Kentucky later this month.
