GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Georgia's largest school district officially has a new superintendent.
GCPS appoints new superintendent
What we know:
The district's board of education unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Alexandra Estrella on Wednesday in a special called meeting. Estrella was previously the sole finalist in the district's nearly year-long search for a superintendent.
GCPS board discusses Dr. Estrella
What they're saying:
Before the vote, board members reflected on their decision, calling it "one of the most important" the board will make.
"I first want to say to our Board the tremendous work that you all did to make this moment happen today," said Chair Dr. Tarece Johnson-Morgan, who represents District 5. "The time and effort you took from your personal schedules, even some of y'all who traveled a lot, made this moment work. And I know it hasn't been easy."
"This was truly a thoughtful, a very detailed, and truly for me a very demanding process. And I don't discount that one bit. And I really appreciate this process," said District 3 board member Steve Gasper..
When speaking about Estrella, almost every board member mentioned her "experience" as the reason for her hire. They also said she has proven to be a leader who can close the gap between student groups.
RELATED: Gwinnett school superintendent finalist | Who is Dr. Alexandra Estrella?
"Dr. Estrella, thank you for your courage, your time, and your commitment to serve. I look forward to working together to support every student across this district, including our multilingual learners and our students with disabilities," said District 1 board member Dan Seckinger, who represents parts of north Gwinnett.
"Her experience in improving student outcomes, especially for our multilingual learners, especially for graduation rates, all critical areas that are certainly important to us and our district here, Gwinnett County Public Schools, for me, played an important role in making this decision to have her serve as superintendent," said Gasper
Gwinnett superintendent search
The backstory:
The board settled on Estrella following a nationwide search conducted alongside the Alma Advisory Group. Officials cited her 26 years of experience in education and her history of leading complex school systems.
The board said the selection process was informed by "thousands" of community members, including students and educators, who participated in surveys and listening sessions to define the qualities needed for the district's next leader. However, Estrella will arrive with controversy.
Dr. Alexandra Estrella controversy
Dig deeper:
The Norwalk school district recently suffered a multi-million-dollar budget shortfall, layoffs, and an anonymous petition calling for a no-confidence vote. Estrella was also fined $3,000 for violating conflict-of-interest rules as a principal in New York, after reportedly selling property to an employee.
The Source: Information in this article came from the Gwinnett County Board of Education.