DeKalb School Board Must Attend State Hearing

Members of DeKalb County's school board have been summoned to a hearing on Thursday, Jan. 17 by Georgia's Department of Education.

They are being asked for reasons to avoid suspension following the decision of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the district's accrediting agency, to place the school system on probation.

An investigation by SACS officials found fiscal mismanagement, abuse of power and unethical hiring practices, and Gov. Nathan Deal is under pressure from parent groups to fire the entire board.

"Now we have millions of dollars that are missing and textbooks that didn't get to students," parent Caroline Lord of Tucker told CBS Atlanta. "When our children don't have textbooks, if that's not the straw that broke the camel's back, I don't know what is." 

"We are trying to correct our faults," School Board Chairman Eugene Walker said.

"Our taxes have gone up," Lord continued. "We're seeing a decrease in the funds going to the school system, to the actual schools, to the teachers. We're seeing the layoffs. Enough is enough."