The City of Buford school board announced Wednesday that Robert Downs, assistant superintendent of Cobb County Schools, is its choice to be next superintendent of Buford City Schools.
He will replace former Superintendent Geye Hamby, who resigned in August after an audio recording surfaced with a voice alleged to be his using racial slurs and threatening violence against temporary construction workers who had angered him.
A former assistant superintendent under Hamby, Joy Davis, came out of retirement to fill in as superintendent on an interim basis. She said she wasn't interested in the permanent position.
After community outcry demanded transparency in the search for Hamby’s replacement, the school board appointed a nine-member committee. It included six current or former school district employees, including former Buford Superintendent Beauty Baldwin, who was the first black female superintendent in the state.
Downs was selected from 92 applicants from 15 states, according to school district officials.
“Dr. Downs’ credentials and experience stood out among the highly qualified field of candidates,” board chairman Phillip Beard in a written statement. “We are confident that he will build strong ties with students, teachers, parents and the community.”
Downs is the sole finalist. Georgia law says school boards must announce finalists at least 14 days before the final vote to appoint a superintendent. “The appointment will occur during open session at a called meeting and his contract will be a matter of public record at that time,” said Gregory Jay, school board attorney, in an emailed statement.
The gender, race and ethnicity of the other candidates remains a mystery. Jay said there are no questions on the application asking for that information. Neither Jay nor Superintendent Davis answered questions about diversity after the announcement was made.
Community leaders expressed disappointment that there were no opportunities for the public to speak with top candidates.
At meetings after Hamby’s resignation, several people asked the board to cast a wide net to make sure there were minority candidates to choose from.
“I know Dr. Calvin Watts, an African American who currently serves as the superintendent of Kent, Washington, schools was among the five finalists,” said James Taylor, president of Black Men United for Children & Humanity, a Gwinnett-based advocacy group. “Dr. Watts is a personal friend and he would have been a great fit.”
Penny Poole, president of the Gwinnett County branch of the NAACP, said, “It’s sad that the process was exclusive of the citizens.”
Downs will oversee nearly 5,000 students as well as help to bring online a new state-of-the-art high school complex this fall.
Downs is anticipated to come aboard on Feb. 25.
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