UPDATE 3 p.m.: At a press conference this afternoon, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said he’ll remove 6 members of the DeKalb Board of Education.
“The stakes are indeed high. The future of almost 100,000 students who are in the DeKalb County school system is indeed something we cannot take lightly.”
Deal postponed his scheduled 11:30 a.m. news conference, at which he was to announce his decision on whether to suspend up to six members of the DeKalb County School Board.
The Governor met behind closed doors for 45 minutes this morning with all 23 members of the DeKalb legislative delegation. After the session, Sen. Emmanuel Jones (D-Decatur) told reporters the Governor decided to delay his announcement so he could continue discussions with interim DeKalb School Superintendent Michael Thurmond.
“The Governor mentioned that he’s in consultation with the interim superintendent of DeKalb County,” said Jones, “and he needed more time for those discussions to progress.”
As for the lawmakers’ meeting with the Governor, Jones said, “The discussions were cordial.”
Jones said he would have no problem if the Governor went ahead with the recommendation from the State School Board, that he remove six of the nine DeKalb board members.
“If the Governor felt that this decision would improve the school system, and ensure that DeKalb County retains its accreditation, I mentioned that I’m supportive of it,” Jones said.
Over the weekend, a Federal judge issued an order allowing the Governor to make whatever decision he wants. But the order also halts implementation of any suspensions until a hearing later this week.
Asked if he had any problem with the court’s order, Jones said, “I don’t have a problem with that, because that’s why we have three branches of government.”
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