Georgia school district expected to hire Birmingham superintendent

DECATUR, Ga. - The DeKalb County Board of Education was expected to hire Birmingham schools Superintendent Johnny Brown on Friday to fill the same position in the suburban Atlanta system. <br> <br> Brown&#39;s hiring by Georgia&#39;s third-largest school district had been expected since Feb. 26 when the county board of education chose him as its sole finalist. <br> <br> DeKalb County, with a population of 600,000, has 98,000 public school students and 136 schools. Birmingham has 243,000 residents and about 38,000 students attending 74 schools. <br> <br> Board member Elizabeth Andrews said the board is hiring Brown because it is convinced he has the skills to make sure students are mastering the curriculum. She said she also sees someone who can build a sense of trust in the school system. <br> <br> Brown&#39;s Birmingham contract pays him about $215,000 a year in salary and benefits, about $25,000 more than DeKalb&#39;s retiring superintendent, James Hallford. <br> <br> The DeKalb job is expected to pay Brown, 53, at least a comparable salary package to that earned by Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall, who last year earned $241,000 in salary, performance bonuses and benefits. <br> <br> Brown&#39;s deal is expected to be for three years. <br> <br> Brown has said he considered other jobs because of the uncertainty that may ensue with the election of a new Birmingham school board April 9. <br> <br>