Merrianne Dyer was a final interview away from realizing her dream of becoming an education professor at the University of Georgia when the chairman of the Gainesville school board asked the then Fair Street principal if she would "help out" at the central office.
A week later, on July 3, 2008, community tensions came to a head when the board fired former Gainesville schools Superintendent Steven Ballowe in a 3-2 vote split along racial lines.
Many minority parents rallied around Ballowe, citing increases in minority test scores as evidence of his work to close the student achievement gap between races.
Others balked at the more than $5 million he could not account for and his call for a 14 percent property tax hike. Many parents and local business leaders demanded his termination.
As accountants filtered through the system’s budget to determine just how many millions of dollars Ballowe and the board had overspent, David Syfan, the newly elected board chairman, searched for a new leader for the system.
When Assistant Superintendent David Shumake declined the board’s offer for the superintendent position, the board asked Dyer to temporarily fill the post.
Dyer canceled her interview at UGA.
Nearly a year later, teachers, board members, parents and community business leaders applaud Dyer’s leadership and call her an "honest" leader who is "approachable" and "exceptional."
Dyer, an alumna of Gainesville High and 23-year Gainesville system educator, said it was "somewhat of a surprise" when she was announced the interim superintendent on July 17. She said the board informed her she would likely act as superintendent until it could fill the position permanently by Christmas.
She began arriving at the central office at 5:30 a.m. each day for accounting sessions with Chief Financial Officer Janet Allison.
"I really care about the school system," Dyer said. "There was no question of whether I should do this or not. I had to."
Dyer, who acknowledges "I never would have been a superintendent under any other circumstances," said she felt a responsibility to the children and teachers of Gainesville schools to lead the system out of a $5.4 million deficit.
Her perseverance in resolving the system’s financial woes while maintaining a focus on academics led the board to unanimously name her the official superintendent in October.
Under her leadership, the board reduced its deficit to about $3.6 million this summer despite millions of dollars in state cuts.
"We started out in a hole trying to claw our way out, but while we were clawing our way out, the state cut us and the hole got deeper," Dyer said.
And despite the financial chaos, all Gainesville schools — except for Gainesville Middle, which hinges on one special needs student’s test scores — are set to meet "Adequate Yearly Progress" under No Child Left Behind for the 2009-10 school year. Last year, Gainesville Middle was the only system school to not meet AYP.
Superintendent has eased tensions
Iris Butts, an eighth-grade math teacher at Gainesville Middle, said Dyer brought relief last summer to a system fraught with uncertainty.
"Dr. Dyer has a calming spirit," Butts said. "When we were going through a period of turmoil, with the former superintendent leaving and in search of a new one, she brought a sense of calm and a sense of normalcy."
Dyer said she herself was amazed at how tensions dissipated after her appointment.
"The discord between factions in the community died down pretty quickly in that they knew me," she said. "They knew I was trustworthy. I might not do a perfect job, but I was honest."
Butts said Dyer did a "great job" communicating to teachers the effects state and system cuts would have at the classroom level.
"She always considers the impact on students," Butts said. "I think that she’s done a great job in being able to balance the requirements of the budget for the Gainesville City School System as well as considering the people that teach in the Gainesville City School System."
Gainesville High School Principal Chris Mance was one of three new principals at the dawn of the 2008-09 school year when Dyer took over. Last July, the board had not yet been able to pass a fiscal year 2009 budget and principals could not buy textbooks three weeks before classes started.
Mance said Dyer gave him "quality advice" on how to open the school under those conditions and continue the school year when state cuts ensured teacher layoffs and systemwide employee pay cuts ranging from $10 to $75 each month.
"I think she handled it well," Mance said of the pay cuts and layoffs. "It’s not a great situation for anybody, but it’s something we as a staff knew was going to have to happen. We’ve all communicated what was coming down the line from state cuts to our cuts."
Support from parents, community leaders
Jack Waldrip, owner of Jack Waldrip Real Estate in Gainesville, vehemently opposed Ballowe and his deficit reduction plan that called for a tax hike. Waldrip said he believes Dyer has made "very good moves" to reduce the deficit, and has earned the trust of the business community.
"I think they believe in her," Waldrip said. "I think the entire business community believes she will make the hard choices that will be necessary. ... I think they’re doing everything they can to reduce expenses from electrical down to staff. Merrianne Dyer has not only the ability to lead the system, but she has the courage to reduce the deficit and operate the system."
Waldrip said he understands why the board had to raise taxes 12 percent last year and he’s glad taxes were not increased this year, but he now feels residents need a tax cut.
Dyer said the system’s millage rate is as low as state law allows for a system operating with a deficit.
Helen O’Keefe, former Gainesville Middle principal, said Dyer made the hard decisions with the least discomfort to system workers. O’Keefe, who volunteers as a consultant for the system, said Dyer’s leadership makes her want to volunteer more.
"Her direction makes this community more cohesive," O’Keefe said. "... I think she needs to stay at least for the next five years."
Jane Carpenter, a mother of three children at Gainesville middle and high schools, said she is "thrilled" Dyer is in charge of the system.
"We feel very good about the changes that have been made and we feel good about our children," she said.
Local activist Faye Bush was one of the community members who supported Ballowe last summer.
Bush said the improvements Dyer made in her time as principal of Fair Street IB World School allowed the Southside Gainesville community to give her a chance.
"It seems like since Dr. Dyer has been there, she has some of the same values as (Ballowe) had as far as educating every child," Bush said.
She said Dyer’s decision to forgo more than $26,000 total in pay for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years is a testament to her focus.
"It shows that she really has the community and school at heart," Bush said.
Board: System on right track
Syfan said he feels Dyer had a "great first year."
"Just like anybody else that moves into a new position, she had a learning curve, but even with that learning curve, I think that she has kept the school system focused on student achievement, which is our primary goal," he said. "And she has taken the system a long way to resolving the financial issues and getting us on track, with a little time, to have the system come again into the financial black and be in good financial standing."
Board member Sammy Smith said in an e-mail that Dyer is leading the system’s academics and finances "admirably."
Smith said Dyer helped restore respect from school staff, and she has managed the business side of the system "with transparency, fairness, honesty." He also said he supports her success in reaching out to the community through partnerships, communication and integrity.
Board member Maria Calkins said she believes system workers feel stronger and more confident in the system going forward as a result of Dyer’s and Allison’s work.
Calkins said a year ago, "nobody knew exactly what was where" in terms of finances. Since then, she said the board and system employees have educated themselves on "every penny of that budget."
"Each individual was brought into that the whole year and was educated on the ins and outs of the financials and were also empowered to make better, more efficient decisions," she said. "So I don’t feel like we’ve just fixed it for the year, but I feel as if we’ve fixed it but also given everybody this quality education so it doesn’t happen again."
Board members Willie Mitchell and Kelvin Simmons could not be reached for comment.
Syfan said the board hopes to complete Dyer’s job performance evaluation by the summer’s end. The evaluation has bearing on whether the board will extend Dyer’s two-year superintendent contract.
What’s next for head Red Elephant?
"We’re very much living in the moment with the board," Dyer said.
As state revenues appear unpromising, Dyer said she aims to wisely use the $3 million in federal stimulus funds allotted for the next two years to keep workers employed. She said she also is working to build up per-pupil state revenues to maintain operations when those stimulus funds runs out.
Dyer said individuals from the state Department of Education and the Georgia School Superintendents Association have provided her valuable financial advice to help her lead the system back into the black.
But how much longer will Dyer prolong her professorship?
"I would like to stay here until we have a fund balance," she said. "I would like to pass off to the new person a healthy school system."
Syfan said he’d like to keep Dyer around.
"I think at the very least, the board will offer her at least a two-year contract and maybe more," he said.
Dyer said she’s glad to have this first year behind her, but it’s the upcoming year that could be even more challenging with fewer employees and less pay.
Reflecting on the past year, Dyer said she’s proud of her school system.
"By and large, everyone pulled together," she said. "... As the year went by, and people said it, the true character of our school system was shining through its people. It will be one that you talk about for the rest of your life."