The DeKalb County Board of Education voted 4-1-1 on Monday to make interim chief Norman C. Sauce III superintendent. He once led Chamblee High, the zoned school for most of Brookhaven.

The DeKalb County School District, which runs every public school in Brookhaven, has a permanent superintendent. The DeKalb County Board of Education voted 4-1-1 on Monday to appoint Norman C. Sauce III, who has led the district on an interim basis for about a year.

The vote and appointment are set out in the district’s announcement on Monday. The announcement gives the vote as 4-1-1. It does not say how each board member voted.

A former Chamblee High principal

Sauce is no stranger to Brookhaven families. He was once principal of Chamblee High School, the zoned high school for most of the city. Chamblee High serves about 70% of Brookhaven’s land in the district’s 2026-27 zone map.

The district lists these earlier roles in DeKalb:

  • interim superintendent, since November 2025
  • chief of student services, overseeing exceptional education, English learners, gifted education and early learning and pre-K
  • area superintendent for high schools
  • Region IV superintendent
  • principal of Chamblee High School

He has worked 26 years in public education, according to the district. He holds degrees from California State University, Long Beach, and the University of California, Los Angeles. His doctorate in education is from the University of Southern California.

“I look forward to listening, learning, and working collaboratively with our entire school community to build on the district’s strengths and ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed,” Sauce said in the announcement.

Board Chair Allyson Gevertz said the board looks forward to working with him “as we continue our focus on student achievement, strong schools, and meaningful engagement with families and the broader DeKalb community.”

How the board got here

The board named Sauce its sole finalist at its Sept. 14 meeting. Georgia’s Open Records Act requires a finalist’s name to be public at least 14 days before the final vote, the district said in its Sept. 14 announcement. That announcement set the final vote for Oct. 5, the date it took place.

What it means for you

  • No change in who to call. The district’s main line is still 678-676-1200. Our Brookhaven public schools guide lists every school serving the city, with zones and report cards.
  • Rezoning is still on his desk. The district’s Student Assignment Project covers the Chamblee, Cross Keys and Druid Hills clusters, which serve all of Brookhaven. The Board of Education is due to consider recommendations in December 2026.
  • Read more about him. The district’s superintendent page carries his full biography.