DeKalb’s newly appointed school board has made some noteworthy progress on its efforts to shake off probation, but it’s too soon to tell if the system will regain full accreditation, officials with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools said Friday.
The mid-year assessment is aimed at letting school system administrators know how they are doing on the goals outlined by SACS.
Officials at the accreditation agency voiced concern that the school system could be facing more upheaval should the school board membership change again.
Six board members were suspended then replaced by Gov. Nathan Deal earlier this year after the system was placed on probation by SACS. The agency alleged a myriad of management problems by the board, including racking up excessive legal costs, financial mismanagement, nepotism and administrative meddling.
The decision by SACS triggered a state law that authorizes the governor to remove school boards in districts on probation. Five of the six former board members have since asked a judge to be reinstated. The district’s superintendent, Cheryl Atkinson, resigned shortly after the DeKalb was placed on probation.
SACS ordered the system to take 11 “required actions” — including offering better support to the system’s superintendent and putting in place more fiscally responsible policies — or risk loss of accreditation by this December.
At a recent meeting with the board, Mark Elgart, the president and CEO of AdvancED, SACS parent company, said DeKalb had made some progress on the required actions.
The stakes are high for Georgia’s third largest school system. The loss of DeKalb’s accreditation would have a “devastating impact” on students and local economic development, Deal has said.
Michael L. Thurmond, the interim superintendent of DeKalb, said he takes Friday’s report as good news.
“The crisis has been averted,” said Thurmond. “We’ve been able to diminish the crisis we faced and we can be deliberative. … That’s what the report says to me. We are not in crisis anymore in DeKalb County schools.”
Parents in the district are also pleased with the board’s progress.
“I’m pleased that their focus, except for a few occasions, has been on student achievement at a high level across the entire district and just not in pockets like we were used to with the old school board,” said Marcia Coward, the president of the DeKalb County Council of PTAs.
SACS sent its team to the school system from May 15-17 to measure progress.
The committee interviewed the superintendent, board members and at least 40 other community members, including central office staff, principals, teachers and parents.
According to a press release issued Friday by AdvancED, the review team found the new board is working to “avoid undermining the authority of the superintendent and helping to create a culture supportive of school system leaders in managing day-to-day operations of the system and schools.”
The review team cautioned, however, that “it is too early to determine the system’s ability to stabilize and maintain the patterns of behavior, management procedures, fiscal operation and adherence to AdvancED Accreditation Standards and Policies.”
“The Monitoring Review Team recognized demonstrated progress in the climate and atmosphere of the DeKalb County School District,” said Elgart. “The superintendent is providing necessary and effective leadership in refocusing the system on its primary purpose – student achievement.”
Another monitoring review team will be in the district in December, at which time the accreditation status will be again reviewed.
“We are encouraged and proud of the progress we made but now we must shift our focus to institutionalizing that progress. Sustainability is the critical issue,” said Thurmond.
Of the five suspended board members who have petitioned for reinstatement, three of their hearings are complete, two are pending and no decisions have yet been rendered. A sixth suspended member, Nancy Jester, declined to petition and has been removed from the board.
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