DeKalb School District 428 school board reorganizes after president’s resignation

DeKALB – DeKalb School District 428 this week has named Deyci Ramirez, Steven Byers and Ariel Owens as its president, vice president and board secretary, respectively.

The board’s decision comes on the heels of an announcement made a week ago by then-president Samantha McDavid disclosing that she planned to resign from her duties effective July 26.

McDavid said she was stepping down from her role to pursue a new opportunity at the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education.

Following the shakeup prompted by the former president’s departure, the school board had to reorganize some of its leadership positions.

Ramirez was tabbed to fill the board president position as set forth in the district’s board policy.

Byers and Owens both received a nomination for the position as vice president during the meeting.

Byers was named vice president after garnering initial support from fellow board members Amanda Harness and Christoper Boyes. Board member Vanta Bynum was absent.

In a failed bid for the position as vice president, Owens drew initial support from Ramirez. She ultimately retained her leadership position as board secretary as the district didn’t see a vacancy to fill.

Byers received the district’s full support in a second and final vote to name the board’s next vice president.

Superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez said she looks forward to working with the board’s new leadership.

“I want to welcome our new vice president to the work that you will be doing,” Garcia-Sanchez said. “I am looking forward to meeting our new board member when they’ve been selected and excited to see what this [board] will look like this upcoming school year. … And thanks, Deyci, for being president.”

Garcia-Sanchez also took time to give thanks to McDavid for her service to the district.

McDavid had been active on the school board having served since 2019 and was reelected in April to a second four-year term.

McDavid was not present at this week’s meeting as members of the school board were briefed on her resignation.

The district will embark on the process of interviewing potential replacement school board candidates in the coming days, officials said.