Superintendent Devon Horton is set to leave Evanston/Skokie School District 65 after being named the sole finalist in Georgia’s DeKalb County School District superintendent search, a District 65 news release said Tuesday. 

The DeKalb County Board of Education is expected to vote on Horton’s appointment for the Atlanta-area job later this month. 

Horton joined District 65 at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. Though the Board of Education initially approved a contract for him to be superintendent through the end of the 2022-2023 school year, it later extended his contract through June 2026. 

During his three years as superintendent, Horton worked to strengthen academic support, launch Academic Skill Centers for tutoring, diversify the educator pipeline and mitigate teacher shortages through the CREATE65 Teacher Residency. 

He also led District 65 as the Board of Education voted to approve the historic construction of a neighborhood school in Evanston’s predominantly Black 5th Ward, which has gone without a neighborhood school for more than 50 years.

“Despite beginning my chapter here during one of the most challenging periods in public education, I am deeply proud of all that we have accomplished,” Horton said in the news release. “It’s bittersweet for me to share that my next professional step will take me elsewhere.”

The district news release said more information concerning a search process and leadership transition will follow this month.

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Twitter: @avivabechky

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