DECATUR, Ga. — At a recent Decatur City School Board meeting, members of the board voted unanimously to extend Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker’s contract by a year.

Now, the contract will keep Whitaker on as superintendent through 2027.

The previous version of Whitaker’s contract had her in the role of superintendent from July 2023 to July 2026.

According to a copy of Whitaker’s new contract, Whitaker will now serve as superintendent until June 30, 2027, with the option for the board to extend the agreement another year, or longer, beginning July 1, 2026.

As the superintendent, Whitaker will earn $260,000 as her base salary, and at the end of each year of her now-amended contract, the school board will have the option to increase the base salary. This marks an increase of $25,000 compared to the previous version of her contract.

Additionally, Whitaker is given a monthly allowance of $1,117 to cover routine and reasonable expenses, such as automobile costs while working as superintendent, and will be provided a car and payment for expenses like auto insurance, the contract says. Compared to her previous contract, the county will be paying more than $400 over the year before.

The board will also reimburse Whitaker for all non-travel expenses accrued to carry out her duties, so long as receipts are provided, and will pay any costs out-of-pocket for travel outside of the metro Atlanta area when related to her work, including lodging, meals and mileage.

Another $5,000 per year is available to Whitaker from the school district for dues and costs of membership to up to three civic organizations and up to three professional organizations. The district will also pay for technology supplies for Whitaker, such as a cell phone, tablet and laptop, as well as the services and hardware for them.

Whitaker’s new contract will also increase the amount of payments she can receive for unused vacation time. The previous contract provided for a $1,044.44 per day, the new contract increased the amount to $1,155.56 per day, with a maximum payout of $17,333.33 per year.