Update to an earlier report: This article includes new information about a story we previously covered. Read our earlier report.
City Schools of Decatur’s board has approved an agreement providing Superintendent Gyimah Whitaker $401,700 in future salary payments as her employment ends at the close of business Dec. 31, 2026. The agreement also calls for separate payment for unused vacation.
The salary will be paid in two installments: $301,275 on Jan. 1, 2027, followed by $100,425 on Jan. 1, 2028. The agreement says the payments cover salary under Whitaker’s 2025 contract, which runs through June 30, 2028. It also provides $17,853 for 15 unused vacation days.
The finalized agreement describes the departure as a mutual decision. The district says the arrangement is a separation without cause and does not constitute a termination.
A separate Oct. 8 resignation letter prepared by the district’s law firm used different language about the negotiations, stating that the board was “attempting to reach a termination agreement with the superintendent.”
Deputy Superintendent Karen Newton-Scott is scheduled to become interim superintendent on Jan. 1, 2027, for an 18-month term.
Marcus Jones
News Now Georgia
