Decatur’s school board may name its new superintendent during a special session, 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Central Office/Beacon Municipal Center, 125 Electric Avenue. The agenda lists only one action item, “superintendent search update,” along with an executive session “if needed.”

The board has been searching for Phyllis Edwards’ replacement since May. Last week it seemed poised to name her successor or at least a list of finalists, but surprised observers by taking no action. Marc Wisniewski, who headed up the board’s search team in 2003 when it hired Edwards to replace Ida Love, said not to read too much into that.

“I’m not concerned in the least,” said Wisniewski, who was on the board from 2001-14 and is now chairman of the Decatur Education Foundation. “From what I’ve heard, I’m real impressed with how in-depth [the board’s] gone in interviewing candidates. They’ve spent a lot more time on that than we did [in 2003].”

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez