Superintendent delivers farewell, urges trustees to keep students at the center

In a prepared statement marking the superintendent’s final board meeting, the superintendent reflected on leadership and stewardship of public resources and urged trustees to put students at the center of decisions. "Public education is a sacred trust," the superintendent said. "Before we are stewards of taxpayer dollars, we are stewards of children's hopes, dreams, opportunities, and futures."

The superintendent thanked teachers, support staff, administrators, families and the board for their partnership and described district work as a collective effort that "makes DeKalb special." The remarks called for accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility, but framed those duties around improving student outcomes: "Every line item in a budget represents a student learning to read, a teenager discovering a career path, a child receiving support that they desperately need."

Trustees responded with applause and brief remarks of thanks; the meeting adjourned shortly after the remarks.