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VOLUME 24 NUMBER 12
MAY 12, 2018
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Gov. Deal vetoes bill to create term limits for mayor of Stonecrest By Valerie J. Morgan Gov. Nathan Deal has vetoed HB 600, which proposed term limits for the office of mayor in the city of Arabia Mountain High School Stonecrest while permitting council members to serve for an unlimited number of terms. Additionally, the bill would have prevented the mayor from voting with the City Council, except to break a tie. The governor said he vetoed HB 600 because there was no consensus among the DeKalb County Delegation members who represent the city of Stonecrest. One of the delegation members, State Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams, did not sign off on the bill. “These amendments to a city charter that has been in effect for less than two years have not, apparently, received the proper amount of discussion during the Four DeKalb County School District (DCSD) campuses have been legislative session as legislators ranked among the best high schools from the delegation could not reach a consensus. For this reason, I in America by U.S. News & World VETO HB 600,” Deal said in a news Report magazine. release. The DeKalb School of the Arts The mayor would have only earned a gold designation after being been able to serve two terms, but ranked No. 75 overall, and No. 2 in council members would have been Georgia - a jump from its No. 89 allowed to serve unlimited four-year overall ranking in 2017. Chamblee terms under HB 600. Both positions Charter High School also earned a will continue to be able to serve gold designation, ranking No. 457 unlimited four-year terms under the nationwide and No. 14 in Georgia. city’s existing charter. The Arabia Mountain High Adrion Bell, the city of School Academy of EngineeringStonecrest’s communications Medic performed well enough to director, praised the veto, which earn a silver designation, ranking came on May 8 as the city turned No. 58 in Georgia. one year old. He said the bill would DeKalb Early College Academy have unfairly punished the officer of earned a bronze designation, ranking the mayor. No. 68 in Georgia. “It would have caused an “Our district and students imbalance of power on the council. are again well represented on I don't know of any governor or this prestigious list. Our four mayor who has neither a vote nor a recognized campuses are a shining veto,” said Bell. light of sustained excellence for Mayor Jason Lary was delighted our community. We are proud and excited for these schools as we continue to rise and improve.” said Superintendent/CEO R. Stephen Green. More than 6,500 high schools were ranked by the magazine. Rankings are based the following: 1) how well students at a school Dr. Terry O. Oatts will be sworn performed compared to their state in on May 30 as Superintendent of peers in math and reading; 2) the Rockdale County Public Schools at reading and math proficiency of a called meeting. disadvantaged students compared The board appointed Oatts, to the state average; 3) if a school’s former Assistant Superintendent student graduation rate meets or for Student Achievement in Fayette exceeds a national standard; 4) a County Schools, as superintendent College Readiness Index that is on May 7. Oatts was selected after based on the school's Advanced he was selected in April as the sole Placement participation rate and how finalist in the board’s superintendent well the students did on those tests. search. Under the guidance A gold designation is given to schools ranked in the top 500 schools of the Georgia School Boards Association as search provider, for college readiness based on the magazine’s index. Silver-designated the Board completed a survey schools have lower college readiness of its expectations for the next superintendent, posted and reviewed than gold schools, and bronze the results of a survey of the schools perform well on state community and school district staff assessments.
Four DeKalb schools among nation’s best high schools by U.S. News & World Report
Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary
with the veto. “I am pleased that the governor saw that this bill would have made governing ineffective for the office of the mayor. HB 600 would have taken us backward instead of forward. Thank you, Governor Deal,” Lary said. State Rep. Doreen Carter, District 92, introduced the bill in March 2017. The bill initially included revising the city’s voting districts, along with term limits for the mayor and modifying provisions related to a quorum on the City Council. Amendments were made as the bill moved from the House to the Senate last year and it gained bipartisan support this year with those amendments. Carter said despite the governor’s rejection of the bill, she believes it could have offered a resolve for some of the issues with the tie votes that have occurred recently with the City Council. “They have no way to break a tie the way it stands right now,” said Carter. “That’s why most voting organizations have odd numbers—
whether it’s a board or a city. That was the whole reason for proposing the bill in the first place.” Attorney Bernie Knight, who has worked closely with the formation of the new city, applauded the governor’s decision. “The veto of this ill-considered bill was vital to the future of Stonecrest. We offer heartfelt thanks to the Governor,” Knight said. Mayor Pro Tem George Turner agreed. “I think the bill was overly aggressive by the persons who authored it before we could even get the city going,” Turner said in a statement released by the city. “What hurt the bill was that they were so anxious to limit the term of the mayor that they went overboard and tried to limit the mayor’s power. I think the issues of this bill can be handled by the city council who is capable of making our own legislation. In essence, Governor Deal is letting Stonecrest take care of Stonecrest’s business and I am glad that he did.”
Dr. Terry Oatts to be sworn in as RCPS Superintendent on May 30
Dr. Terry Oatts
to seek input as to the characteristics desired in a new superintendent, adopted qualifications for the position, approved and disseminated a recruitment brochure, reviewed applications, and interviewed candidates that appeared to have closely met qualifications. In accordance with Georgia law,
documents for Oatts were made available for public inspection and copying. Oatts began his career in education more than two decades ago in school counseling and has served as assistant principal, elementary, middle, and high school principal, and most recently assistant superintendent. “We congratulate Dr. Oatts on becoming our next superintendent,” said Board Chairman Jim McBrayer. “We are confident that he will be a great leader to continue our tradition of excellence as we move forward with our strategic plan and continuous improvement.”