From WABE…

While the state schools superintendent race on the Republican side remains too close to call, Democrats have their candidate.

Former Decatur school board chief Valarie Wilson scored a decisive win Tuesday night over state Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan by a vote of 54 percent to 46 percent.

Qualifying for the May 20th election of many state level positions closed this past Friday and among the State Superintendent candidates is former Decatur School Board Chair Valarie Wilson.

The State qualifying website show that Ms. Wilson will run against Tarnisha Dent, Denise Freeman, Jurita Forehand Mays, Alisha Thomas Morgan and Rita Robinzine.

h/t: Decaturish

Former Decatur School Board chair and member, Valarie Wilson, tells DM that she will not seek re-election when her term expires in the fall.  Ms. Wilson has been on the Board since 2002 and served as Chair from 2005-2011.

Ms. Wilson continues to serve as Executive Director for the Atlanta Beltline Partnership where she is “responsible for a capital campaign to raise $60 million in private funds to meet critical BeltLine needs, and she oversees an extensive program of public education and community outreach initiatives.”, according to the Beltline’s website.

The DNO e-pub put its nose to the grindstone and turned around two articles from last night’s State of the City and State of the Schools addresses at the Decatur Business Association meeting.

According to the DNO, school board chair Valarie Wilson highlighted the ongoing struggle with the state over school funding and relayed ways in which the school system has made advancements on the five key points of its strategic plan.

Mayor Bill Floyd then took to the stage, highlighting the city’s strong financial position in a tough economic climate, the ongoing effort to “get into the urban gardening business this year”, and the upcoming 2010 Strategic Plan.

Money, food, parking, zoning!?  It’s enough to make a local news junkie drool with glee.

Also the “State of the Schools” address will be given by CSD School Board Chair Valarie Wilson.

Cheryl at the Decatur Minute writes…

The community is invited to join the Decatur City Commission for the annual State of the City Address delivered by Mayor Floyd and the State of the Schools Address delivered by Decatur Board of Education chair Valarie Wilson on Tuesday, January 26th at the monthly meeting of the Decatur Business Association. The reception begins at 5:15 pm and the program begins at 6 pm. The meeting will be held at the new Decatur High School Auditorium in downtown Decatur.

YES!  Sorry, I’m sure it had nothing to do with me, but I’m really excited to see the new auditorium being used in one of the ways I had publicly hoped.