On March 13, 2025, I introduced House Bill 767 to amend the 1972 Act governing the election of the Gwinnett County Board of Education. This bill proposes changes to the compensation structure for board members, including provisions to suspend compensation if the board approves a buyout of a superintendent’s contract.
The Gwinnett County Board of Education has fired two superintendents in a four-year period. They terminated Superintendent Calvin Watts without public explanation, effective April 2025. The taxpayers are paying approximately $1.3 million to buyout two different contracts. Our tax dollar should be used to educate our children. What this bill does is reduce the pay of the board members if this happens again in the future. And it also protect the First Amendment Rights by prohibiting the infringement of communications made by members of the board.
This bill required 12 signatures from the Gwinnett County’s House Legislative Delegation to move forward. We have the required support and the bill awaits committee consideration.
This bill is about transparency, integrity, accountability and First Amendment rights. It does NOT reduce the salaries of any current Board of Education member, this would only happen if a buyout is done in the future.
If you have any questions about this bill, any other legislation or concerns, please contact me. My contact information is below.