Rockdale Citizen

CONYERS -- The Rockdale County Board of Education could spend more than $60,000 on an interim superintendent this year.

The school board has signed a contract of employment with Billy Johnson, a Conyers resident who is a consultant for the Georgia School Boards Association, Monday that was effective June 1.

The contract states that Johnson will serve as interim superintendent for Rockdale County Public Schools on an at-will basis for a monthly payment of $11,000. If he works a partial month, he would be paid per diem.

The GSBA is conducting a search for Rockdale's next school superintendent. A proposed timeline provided by GSBA has a final superintendent candidate in place by Nov. 1. The school board also will pay GSBA an $8,000 fee to conduct its superintendent search. Additional charges could cost the board up to $2,000 more.

The one-page contract, which was released by RCPS Wednesday, did not mention the payment of any benefits to Johnson. It does not provide any tenure rights or credible service under the Georgia Teacher Retirement System, it notes.

The contract, which was signed by school board Chair Wales Barksdale and Vice Chair Jean Yontz on Monday, requires Johnson to comply with fingerprinting and a criminal background check and to adhere to the Educator's Code of Ethics.

The school board approved Johnson as interim superintendent on May 29, just a few days after members accepted current Superintendent Samuel King's resignation, effective June 30. King has accepted superintendent position in Norfolk Public Schools in Virginia, effective July 2.

Johnson has lived in Conyers since 1983 and has three children who are graduates of each of the Rockdale County high schools.

He began his career in education as a teacher in Dublin and Laurens County. After serving as the superintendent of schools in Laurens County, Johnson worked with the state Department of Education as an associate superintendent and later as a division director.

He joined GSBA in 1999 as its board development specialist. He resigned in 2002 but continues to serve on the senior staff as a consultant, assisting with board development and superintendent searches.

As a consultant with GSBA, Johnson has conducted training sessions for the Rockdale BOE, and he has served as an interim superintendent on three previous occasions.

He holds a bachelor's degree in science from the University of Georgia and a master's degree and sixth-year degree in education administration and supervision from Georgia Southern University.

King's base salary is $200,000, and he was allowed a 5 percent cost of living increase and a 5 percent performance compensation each year.

Editor Alice Queen contributed to this article.