Gwinnett Daily Post

Alvin Wilbanks

SUWANEE -- The Gwinnett County Board of Education voted Thursday to extend Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks' contract for two years.

The superintendent's current contract was set to expire June 30, and the school board's vote extends his employment to June 30, 2012.

Wilbanks said he was appreciative of the board's support.

"I still enjoy coming to work every day. As long as I can do that, I want to continue to do that," Wilbanks said. "The thing that keeps me going is that there are 160,000-plus students in this district that need a quality education, and I want to be a part of that. ... I want to make sure whatever I've got, you'll get."

Wilbanks' base salary of $262,030 will remain the same.

Also that evening, the school board approved the appointment of Kerensa Wing as principal of Lanier High, scheduled to open in August.

Wing, an assistant principal at Collins Hill High School, will begin her new role Jan. 4, which will allow her time to begin hiring faculty and staff, meet with parents and community members, and complete a myriad of tasks associated with opening a new high school.

A former social studies teacher, Wing has worked for Gwinnett County Public Schools since 1990. In 2002, she was a finalist for the Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year title, and in 2008, she graduated from the school district's Quality-Plus Leader Academy, a leadership training program for aspiring principals.