Decatur school board sets leader exit date

Decatur City School Superintendent jima Whitaker is stepping down. The school board confirmed the move in a statement tonight. Fox 5's Hernan Gutierrez is outside the district headquarters. Hernan, when is her last day? Dr. Jima Whitaker's last day will be December 31st. The school board voted unanimously to approve a change in her contract, according to Decaturish. Now, it isn't entirely clear whether the superintendent resigned or if the school board voted to part ways with her. On their own behalf, the deputy superintendent, Dr. Karen Newton-Scott, will serve as interim superintendent. Decatur is first broke the news of Dr. Whitaker's departure during the school meeting Tuesday. The outlet also reports she mentioned a transition to a role where she can impact students nationally during her comments at that meeting. Dr. Whitaker was hired as superintendent in 2023. Her departure comes after the district launched an independent investigation into some controversial comments. Made by her husband about Muslims and transgender people on his podcast. In one podcast, he called Muslims, quote, low IQ and compared them to, quote, sixth century goat herders. That investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing on Dr. Whitaker's part. It's also unclear whether the investigation is connected at all to her departure. According to a district statement on the move, it achieved its highest state accountability scores during Dr. Whitaker's tenure. The statement also includes comments from Dr. Dr. Whitaker, she says in part, our work. together shows what is possible when student success remains the unwavering focus. She goes on to say, as I move forward with new opportunities, I am confident that the foundation we have built will serve Decatur students for years to come. Now, the district did not mention what those new opportunities for Dr. Whitaker are. The deputy superintendent will serve as interim superintendent for at least 18 months while the district finds a replacement. In Decatur, Hernan Gutierrez, Fox 5. Yes. Hernan, thanks.