SB 560: County Board of Education of DeKalb County; provisions governing the use of third party search firms in selecting a superintendent; provide

This bill amends the 1963 local law that set up DeKalb County's school board election districts, adding a new section about how the board hires help finding a school superintendent. If the board contracts with a third party firm to search for superintendent candidates, do background checks, or benchmark compensation, that contract must require the firm to run employment and personal background checks and a risk assessment on any person the board has identified as among the best qualified within 14 days before a final vote, even if that person was not found through the search firm. The board could not appoint anyone to the superintendent job unless that person has gone through this background check and risk assessment process. The board also could not cancel its contract with the search firm just to avoid these requirements, and any decision to end the contract would need a separate public vote listed specifically on the meeting agenda.

• Adds a new section to DeKalb County's 1963 school board law requiring search firm contracts to cover background checks and risk assessments.
• Requires background checks and risk assessments on any superintendent finalist identified within 14 days of the board's final vote, even if the firm did not find that candidate.
• Bars the board from appointing a superintendent who has not undergone these background checks and risk assessment.
• Prohibits the board from ending its search firm contract as a way to dodge these requirements.
• Requires any termination of the search firm contract to happen through a separate, agenda-listed public vote.

The DeKalb County Board of Education, third party firms it hires for superintendent searches, and candidates being considered for the DeKalb County school superintendent position are all directly affected by this bill's new contract and vetting requirements.

The bill would make it harder for the DeKalb County school board to select a superintendent finalist without a background check and risk assessment, and would require any move to drop a search firm to happen through a transparent, publicly recorded vote rather than quietly.

• Section 1 adds Section 3.3 to the 1963 DeKalb County school board law, applying whenever the board contracts a third party for superintendent search related services.
• Requires the contract to mandate background checks and risk assessments on any candidate the board views as among the best qualified within 14 days before the final vote, referencing O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72(a)(11).
• Bars appointment of any superintendent who has not cooperated with and undergone these background checks and a risk assessment.
• Prohibits terminating the search firm contract to get around these requirements.
• Requires that ending the contract happen only through a public vote, with the item specifically listed and voted on separately on the meeting agenda.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-03Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
4. 2026-03-03Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
5. 2026-02-25Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
6. 2026-02-24Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Emanuel Jones (D, SD-010)Primary sponsor
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)
• Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 3, 2026

   45 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #600

• DeKalb County schools
• school superintendent hiring
• background checks
• local government transparency
• education governance