The Atlanta school board has voted 8-1 to hire Lisa Herring, the chief of the Birmingham, Ala., school system, as superintendent.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Herring, 47, has agreed to a three-year contract and will take over the 52,000-student district on July 1. She has been superintendent in Birmingham for three years.
Herring will replace Meria Carstarphen, who has led the Atlanta district since 2014..The board announced in September that a majority of members would not extend Carstarphen’s contract past a June 30 expiration.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, some board members questioned the wisdom of changing district leadership at this time.
“Amid a pandemic, transition for kids, parents and the city is a poor decision, and it lacks thoughtfulness for Atlanta and for Birmingham,” says board member Nancy Meister, who voted against hiring Herring.
Herring will receive an annual salary of $320,000, plus $2,000 a month for expenses. Carstarphen's salary is $397,953.
This is the end of Herring’s third year as superintendent of the Birmingham district.
