Dublin City Schools ends superintendent search after pay talks fail
The board plans to extend Interim Superintendent Marcee Pool’s contract through July 31 while developing a new leadership plan.
DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Dublin City Schools Board of Education says it is ending its current superintendent search after failing to reach a compensation agreement with sole finalist DeMarcos Holland.
The board said in a news release Friday that it still believes Holland is the right person to lead the district but could not agree to a compensation package that was both “tolerable for the Board” and “respectful to the District’s current financial situation.”
According to the board, both sides understood Holland would take a salary reduction to become Dublin City Schools superintendent. However, the board said any potential agreement would require “too great of a sacrifice” from either Holland or the district.
The statement did not disclose the salary discussed or how far apart the two sides were.
Board members said Holland was notified Friday that they were concluding the search. The board said it does not fault Holland for the outcome.
According to the release, the board plans to extend Interim Superintendent Marcee Pool’s contract through July 31 while it develops a new plan for the district’s leadership.
Dublin City Schools named Holland its sole finalist June 17. The district identified him as the chief human resources officer for Marietta City Schools, where it said he oversees human resources operations for more than 1,400 employees and serves on the superintendent’s executive cabinet.
The district said Holland has more than two decades of experience in public education, including work as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, district leader and executive-level administrator.
Two days after announcing Holland as the finalist, the board issued another statement acknowledging reports about litigation involving Holland and Marietta City Schools. The board said it knew Holland had been named in the lawsuit during the search and that the information did not change its belief that he was the best candidate.
Friday’s statement did not cite the litigation as a factor in ending the search and said the board’s view of Holland had not changed.
Pool has led Dublin City Schools on an interim basis since October 3, 2025, when former Superintendent Frederick Williams retired. 41NBC reported that Williams announced his retirement three days before his departure after spending all 32 years of his education career with the district.
The superintendent search began as Dublin City Schools continued dealing with the effects of a major financial crisis.
In October, 41NBC reported that the board approved $3 million in new budget reductions after the district reported a $13 million shortfall. The reductions included transportation cuts, a suspension of district-paid travel, staffing changes and fewer workdays for some employees.
In January, a state audit found widespread financial mismanagement, weak internal controls and unreliable budget information. Auditors said “absent or weak expenditure controls and deficient budget processes” were the primary causes of the crisis and that temporary federal COVID-19 funding “masked these problems for years.”
The district said at the time that it was working with state officials and financial advisers to implement corrective measures and restore financial stability.
