Superintendent Devon Horton To Depart District 65 Job For Atlanta Area

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Devon Horton on Tuesday announced he plans to resign to take a job in the Atlanta area.

Horton is the sole finalist to become superintendent of DeKalb County School District, where the school board is expected to appoint him later this month, he said in a message to the community.

"I am excited by the opportunity and, while difficult, know this is the right decision for my family and me," Horton said.

A native of Chicago's South Side, Horton had been a superintendent in Louisville, Kentucky, for over a year when he was appointed by the District 65 board in December 2019. He began work in Evanston in July 2020, amid the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois.

"Despite beginning my chapter in District 65 during one of the most challenging periods in public education, I am deeply proud of all that we have accomplished," Horton said.

The outgoing superintendent pointed to the creation of Academic Skill Centers, establishing a teacher residency program to diversity the pipeline of educators and address the teaching shortage, increasing the district's fund balance, developing a new, more equitable student assignment plan and putting in motion plans to build a school in the 5th Ward.

District 65 Board President Sergio Hernandez issued a statement in response to the news of Horton's departure.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside Dr. Devon Horton to advance the racial equity systems work in Evanston/Skokie School District 65," Hernandez said.

"Horton's leadership was instrumental in the implementation of frameworks, processes and strategies that focus on ensuring students, families and educators get the resources they need to close the historic opportunity gaps in our school district," Hernandez continued.

"He will be sorely missed and the board and I wish him and his family continued success as he moves on to his next great opportunity to bring much needed transformative racial equity change within the American educational system.”

Less than a month after starting work in Evanston, Horton and four business partners formed National Stand Up LLC. District representatives said that company was dissolved shortly after its formation without ever collecting any revenue, FOIA Gras reported last month, but three of his four co-managers of the company were later awarded no-bid contracts with the district totaling more than $150,000.

In July 2021, Horton received voicemail with threats and racial slurs following the filing of a federal lawsuit by a part-time drama teacher who accused the district of discriminating against her because she is white. Someone also damaged the window of the superintendent's car in a school lot in what appeared to have been intentional vandalism, district officials announced.

In response, District 65 hired 24-hour-a-day "executive protection" for Horton, paying nearly $50,000 a month to Skokie-based Phoenix Security and racking up about a half-million dollars in bills before the personal security detail was reduced last summer.

Horton's contract was initially due to expire June 30, but last year the board approved a contract extension through June 2026. The Evanston RoundTable reported the superintendent's new contract included a 5 percent raise in his annual base salary, bringing it to $262,500, along with a $30,000 annual annuity, a one-time bonus of 50 additional sick days, as well as more specific performance metrics.

Horton said in the statement announcing his plans to relocate to the Atlanta area that he remained fully invested in District 65 and would work to ensure a smooth transition and stability before departing. District officials said information about the superintendent search process would be announced later this month.

"Ours is a community I’ve loved being part of," Horton said. "Every decision I ever made had students at the center. I will be forever grateful that this community entrusted me with leading this extraordinary school district and with the learning for our children."

Related:

• Black Educators Alliance Names Devon Horton Superintendent Of The Year
• New Boundaries, 5th Ward School Included In District 65 Assignment Plan
• Evanston/Skokie District 65 Hires New Superintendent