The Georgia School Boards Association said 27 people applied to be the next superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools.
The association is handling the search for the superintendent who will take office after J. Alvin Wilbanks’ term ends in July. Board members in March narrowly voted to buy out the last 11 months of Wilbanks’ contract amid concerns about educational and disciplinary equity in the diverse school district.
By contrast, last year 68 people applied to be superintendent in DeKalb County and 84 applied for the top job in Atlanta Public Schools.
“I’m surprised it’s as low as it is,” said Steven Knudsen, board member, said of the number of applications. “I’m not concerned because we’re committed to the right process.”'
Knudsen and board member Mary Kay Murphy had voted against buying out Wilbanks’ contract, arguing he should be allowed to finish his remaining year. Board members Everton Blair, Tarece Johnson and Karen Watkins favored the buyout.
“I’m confident we have the leader we need in the pool,” Blair said of the search process. “Quality is more important than quantity.”
With almost 180,000 students, Gwinnett is the biggest school system in Georgia and 13th-largest in the country. Wilbanks led it for 25 years, the longest-serving superintendent of a large school district in the nation.
The Georgia School Boards Association is processing the applications and will send them to the Gwinnett County Board of Education the week of May 31, said Justin Pauly, association spokesman.
The application period ended Sunday. The Gwinnett school board next month will sort through the applications and schedule interviews. The board in July expects to name one or more finalists.
Pauly said it’s difficult to compare numbers of superintendent applicants across school districts.
“Each district is very different and the board sets the criteria they feel are the best qualities to lead their district,” he said in an email.
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