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The DeKalb County school board Wednesday night received an update from the head of its accrediting agency. In December, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed the district on accredited probation due to board governance problems. The recently re-constituted board has a lot of work ahead of it.
Mark Elgart, the CEO of SACS’ parent company, said by December 31 the board will need to: (1) develop a plan for student achievement, (2) improve the district’s finances, and (3) demonstrate effective governance.
The biggest challenge for the board could be getting a handle on the budget, which is operating at a deficit. Elgart said any potential cuts should start furthest from the classroom.
“Quite frankly, you’ve gutted the classrooms, if you want my professional opinion, in DeKalb County,” Elgart said, “One of your challenges is to restore they type of resources and support and direction assistance that classrooms need to be successful.”
Elgart also said since taxes remain flat, the board will need to think of new sources of revenue. And, he said, for achievement to improve, stable leadership is a must.
“You cannot have the superintendent position be a rotating position,” he said, “If you have the right person you need that person in place for a long time to make a difference in a system of this magnitude and complexity. You need a stable board.”
Elgart said it’s not likely the district will regain full accreditation by their December deadline. But interim superintendent Michael Thurmond remained optimistic.
“What we’re looking to do is to continue to improve and move from the probationary status to warning and ultimately high achieving,” Thurmond said, “So there are various stages in the probation process. So there’s room for improvement and that’s what we’re looking for.”
Elgart said it will take 3-5 years to turn the system around. Its unclear if Thurmond will be around that long. Wednesday he said he would not stay past his one-year contract, and said he’s focused on getting the district back on track.
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