DeKalb superintendent addresses closures, safety and teacher retention

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County school leaders are charting a new path under Dr. Norman Sauce, who was officially named superintendent this month after serving as interim leader since 2025. Sauce plans to tackle declining enrollment and campus safety while stabilizing leadership across Georgia's third-largest public school system. 

DeKalb school district leadership

The backstory:

Sauce spent decades rising through public education, starting as a social studies teacher before serving as an assistant principal, leading elementary and high schools, and joining district administration. The school board officially confirmed him as permanent superintendent this month following a one-year stint as interim leader. 

Leadership turnover has shadowed the county for years, but Sauce pledged to remain. "I appreciate folks have watched and wondered about leadership turnover with the district," Sauce said. 

"But what I can say is that I love DeKalb County School District," Sauce said. "I have history in this school district that precedes my time in this seat, and I am committed to being here as long as the board and the community would have me to help actualize the vision." 

Wearing the district lapel pin remains a personal point of honor. "I wear it every single day of the week with immense pride, and with immense honor and gratitude," Sauce said. 

Clarkston High campus safety

What we know:

Security measures were tested Thursday when two Clarkston High School students were arrested after staff found a weapon on campus, triggering a lockdown. Campus detection monitors intercepted the weapon before anyone was injured. 

The school system was among the first in metro Atlanta to install weapons detection systems at building entrances. "We are one of the first districts in metro Atlanta to implement weapons detection systems," Sauce said. 

"We make no apologies for that," Sauce added. "We've had a significant precipitous decline in the number of confiscated weapons, particularly firearms, since we implemented those measures." 

Potential school closure decisions

What we don't know:

Parents across DeKalb County have voiced concern over whether declining enrollment will force neighborhood campuses to close or merge. District leaders have not selected any facilities for consolidation or finalized attendance boundaries. 

Sauce emphasized that redistricting and closure talk remains unconfirmed while staff study local population shifts. "At this point there have been no decisions made about which schools may be consolidated when or in what fashion," Sauce said. 

Classroom literacy and retention

What they're saying:

Sauce identified active engagement and presence as fundamental to student achievement. "Presence is a big part of my leadership style and how I seek to connect with students," Sauce said. 

"I think it starts with me being present," Sauce said. "I think is starts with being in classroom, being amongst our scholars, being with our teachers, and seeing firsthand what their learning experiences look like." 

Sauce also pointed to reading proficiency as the bedrock of student growth. "Literacy is liberation," Sauce said. 

"Literacy is human dignity," Sauce added. "And literacy is the way that we accomplish these goals and leaning in on that." 

During National Principals Month this October, Sauce highlighted the need to support educators and curb staff turnover. "Teachers see that this is a school district that is responsive to their needs, that they have leadership that listens and is aware and interested in their needs and implements measures to improve conditions for them," Sauce said. 

"I believe those things lead to retention," Sauce said. Advisory councils now meet regularly with the superintendent to maintain open communication. 

Academic benchmarks and vision

Big picture view:

Sauce defined his overarching purpose as creating pathways for every student in the county. "Education means to me, it means access, it means liberation, it means opportunity," Sauce said. 

"It means allowing students to become equipped with the skills, the attributes, the understanding they need to chase their wildest dreams and ascend to the highest heights that they would ever dream for themselves," Sauce said. His goals include pushing graduation rates past 90% while expanding advanced college and middle school credit courses. 

Sauce stated that the district will serve as a model for urban education. "We are committed to clarity, consistency and coherence through relationships, receptiveness and responsiveness that we're on our way that we are not going to fail that we again have been will be a beacon of ascension and for others to watch and learn from," Sauce said. 

DeKalb student assignment plan

What's next:

Declining enrollment across the county continues to tighten operating budgets. "Declining enrollment comes with some fiscal pressures that we have to contend with," Sauce said. 

"It comes with pressures around student experience and equitable distribution of resources so that those experiences can be accessible to every scholar," Sauce added. District planners will begin phase two of the student assignment project in early 2027. 

That phase will center on cluster communities facing historical enrollment losses. District officials pledged to gather extensive community input before proposing any adjustments. 

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