State Recommends Suspension for Six DeKalb Board Members
After a 14-hour hearing Thursday, the state board of education voted unanimously to recommend Governor Nathan Deal suspend six members of the DeKalb County school board with pay.
That means three newly-elected board members will keep their seats. The hearing was required by law since the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed the district on probation for governance problems.
To hear Martha's report for Friday Morning Edition, click here.
DeKalb board attorney Bob Wilson focused on the district ‘s three brand-new people in leadership positions. Interim superintendent Michael Thurmond was hired two weeks ago; new board members Melvin Johnson and Jim McMahan were recently elected board chair and vice chair, respectively. Wilson said that signified the board’s new direction. Mark Elgart, the CEO of SACS’ parent company, said it’s possible.
“But, it also brings concern because it is unusual for two people who have never served on a board of education to now be in charge in a chair and vice chair role on that same board of education.”
Thurmond argues DeKalb’s board is serious about change. He points to their hiring of him as an example.
“It shows to me that they recognize that this is a serious moment in the history of our school district and we just can’t continue to do the status quo.”
But state board members didn’t forget about an issue from January’s initial hearing. A KPMG audit showed the district took out a $12 million loan to pay for textbooks that weren’t received. When questioned by state officials last month, DeKalb board members couldn’t answer why the issue hadn’t been resolved. Thursday, Thurmond said he found the books in two days. But that only raised more questions from state officials, like board member Brian Burdette:
“You were there eight days and you figured out where all the money went for these books. How come in four months the board couldn’t?”
In his answer, Thurmond didn’t elaborate, but he said the board lacked leadership. In the end, the state board decided change needed to happen immediately. But the fate of the six DeKalb board members is still unclear. DeKalb board attorneys are challenging the constitutionality of the law that allows the governor to remove the board members. That hearing will take place next week.
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