Iowa City school administrator chosen for job in Georgia

IOWA CITY - David Dude, a top administrator in the Iowa City Community School District, has been named the sole finalist for the Decatur, Ga. superintendent job, the school district there said Friday.

Dude, who works as the chief operating officer and chief technology officer in Iowa City, joined the district in 2011.

Dude said he was interested in the job because it both allows him to become a superintendent and allows him and his wife to pursue their careers in the same place. His wife, Amanda Edwards, will attend the Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Dude said.

Dude will work in Iowa City through the end of October and plans to start work in Decatur Nov. 2, he said. Dude said he and Iowa City Superintendent Stephen Murley are working on plans to cover Dude's duties after he leaves the district.

'I've really enjoyed my time in Iowa City,” Dude said. 'It's been challenging, but I like a challenge.”

The turnover on the Iowa City school board - where five new members were elected last month - had nothing to do with his decision, Dude said. He first applied for the Decatur job in May or June, he said.

Dude has applied for other superintendent jobs before, he said. He was a finalist in February for a superintendent job in Stillwater, Minn.

In Iowa City, Dude has helped lead the district's facilities master planning process, including the adoption of a 2013 plan that includes three new elementary schools and the new Liberty High School, as well as the closure of Hoover Elementary School.

Dude was chosen from a pool of more than 85 applicants from 38 states, according to a release from the Decatur school district.

'We are confident that we have found the right leader for City Schools of Decatur,” said Garrett Goebel, the board chairman there, in a prepared statement.

The Decatur school board will vote on Dude's hire Oct. 19, said Courtney Burnett, a district spokeswoman.