Dunwoody and Brookhaven families could have a permanent schools superintendent by October. The DeKalb County Board of Education votes Monday, Sept. 14, on naming Dr. Norman C. Sauce III as the sole finalist for the job.

If the seven-member board approves, a final vote on Sauce's appointment is expected Oct. 5. Georgia law requires a superintendent finalist's name to be public at least 14 days before a final vote.

DCSD operates Dunwoody High School and Chamblee Charter High School, among about 138 schools and centers serving more than 92,000 students.

Sauce, who holds a doctorate from the University of Southern California, has led the district as interim superintendent since November 2025. He is a familiar figure locally. He previously served as principal of Chamblee Charter High School, where Fox 5 Atlanta reported he was credited with improving communication between teachers, parents and district officials. He later served as area superintendent overseeing all 22 DeKalb high schools and then as chief of student services, according to the district's website.

Board Chair Allyson Gevertz said in a statement that the board had weighed the leadership qualities needed to guide the district forward and looked forward to completing the process, according to WSB-TV.

Sauce's path to the finalist vote began during upheaval. The board voted Oct. 15, 2025, to accept the resignation of then-Superintendent Devon Horton, who had led the district since 2023. Horton had been indicted on 17 federal charges in Illinois, including wire fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement, stemming from an alleged kickback scheme during his time leading Evanston-Skokie School District 65. He pleaded not guilty.

In August 2026, a grand jury indicted Horton on additional charges of aggravated assault-strangulation and two counts of cruelty to children, according to 11Alive.

Rough Draft Atlanta reported in January 2026 that the district had cycled through nine superintendents since 2020. At a Jan. 22 community forum at Cross Keys High School in Brookhaven, more than 100 residents turned out, including Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch.

"Too often, our new superintendents walk into these meetings and say, 'We're not going to look back, we're only going to look forward.' [That] has repeatedly failed tens of thousands of children in DeKalb," Deutsch said at the forum.

No board members have publicly signaled how they plan to vote. If Sauce is approved as sole finalist, the 14-day public notice period required by Georgia law begins immediately.