DeKalb County school superintendent Michael Thurmond said Thursday he’ll stay with the district until his replacement is found, if the school board is delayed in finding his replacement after firing its superintendent search firm.

Thurmond said he received permission from his law firm, Butler, Wooten, Cheeley and Peak LLP, to continue in his current post if the board does not find his replacement before Thurmond’s contract ends on June 30. Thurmond has been on leave from the law firm since February 2013, when he became the district’s interim superintendent.

The DeKalb County Board of Education voted Monday to fire PROACT Search, the firm charged with finding Thurmond’s replacement, due to misconduct allegations against SUPES Academy which, like PROACT, is run by Gary Solomon.

About 120 candidates had been identified for the DeKalb school post through the search firm. PROACT Search had received $16,000 of the $25,000 contract for the search, board chairman Melvin Johnson said earlier this week.

Johnson said the district’s law firm, also certified as a search firm, likely will aid in completing the search.

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