In a surprising 3-2 vote, the Gwinnett School Board voted to end Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks’s contract a year early than his contract. With Board Chairman Everton Blair, Vice Chairwoman Karen Watkins, and board member Dr.Tarece Johnson voting in favor of the contract ending and Mary Kay Murphy and Steven Knudsen voting against the move. Wilbank’s last day for the district will be July 31, 2021.
In a statement, Wilbanks said, “In light of the addition of new members to the Board and my decision not to seek another contract, this vote is not surprising. While I was prepared to fulfill my contract through June of 2022, recent discussions with the school board made it clear that would not be the case.”
Wilbanks has been the Superintendent of Georgia’s largest school system since 25 years ago and is currently the longest-serving Superintendent in the country of a large, metro school district. In addition to having the longest tenure, Wilbanks is also the highest-paid Superintendent in Georgia with a base salary of $381,000 and supplements, reimbursements, and allowance bringing his salary well above $620,000 last school year.
To help find Wilbank’s replacement, the Georgia School Boards Association to conduct a search for a new superintendent.
Last year the makeup of the Gwinnett School Board changed in the last three years with Everton Blair becoming the first African-American school board meeting followed by Johnson and Watkins being voted in the November primary.
Stay tuned for more updates.
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