DeKalb County's long saga of superintendent turnover spun another chapter as the school board agreed to pay out a hefty $325K to its axed educator-in-chief, Cheryl Watson-Harris. The DeKalb School Board gave the green light to the settlement on April 15, a full two years after Watson-Harris was shown the door in a move that, to this day, remains shrouded in some mystery, according to a WABE report.

The deal, which includes an additional $16,000 for attorney's fees, was approved at the tail end of a marathon board meeting with a vote count of 6-1. The district spokesperson, quite possibly aiming to quickly put to rest a lingering issue, stated, "At its Regular Business Meeting on April 15, 2024, DeKalb County School Board Members approved a settlement to former Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris based on the terms of her original contract for $325,000 plus $16,000 in attorney fees." Watson-Harris herself chose not to publicly weigh in on the matter.

Despite the board's history of rapidly changing superintendents—having had seven since 2013—the particulars behind Watson-Harris’s dismissal remain elusive. It was during a tumultuous period highlighted by the outcry over appalling conditions at Druid Hills High School that she was unceremoniously sacked. Further digging by Decaturish revealed that Watson-Harris was at the crux of devising a plan to thoroughly reorganize the central office, yet it's unclear if this was a tipping point in her removal.

Post-firing, Watson-Harris wasn't long without a leadership role to deploy her educational strategies; she soon became president and executive director of Achieve Atlanta. Meanwhile, the board moved quickly to temporarily plug the void with Dr. Vasanne Tinsley and, not too long after, replaced Watson-Harris for good by hiring Dr. Devon Horton on April 19. Journalist Jaedon Mason was credited by WABE for his additional reporting on this ongoing educational leadership drama.