Gwinnett school leader grapples with new challenges

Monday marks the 20th anniversary of the date Gwinnett County school board members permanently hired J. Alvin Wilbanks as its superintendent and chief executive officer.

In that time, Wilbanks has had to find ways to deal with massive increases in student enrollment, several changes in education policy from state and federal lawmakers and a few economic recessions that cut school funding.

These days, Wilbanks is faced with the challenge of educating a higher percentage of students who are low-income or have special needs, such as autism.