DALTON, Ga. — The desk in the corner office on the third floor of City Hall holds a chess board, unused since last June.

The chess board has been unused and the office unoccupied because the office’s previous occupant, Don Amonett, has spent the last eight months down the hall in the larger office used by the superintendent of Dalton Public Schools. Amonett, who has been with the school system for 42 years, was elevated by the Board of Education in June to interim superintendent from deputy superintendent when Jim Hawkins stepped down.

Amonett will return to the deputy superintendent position on Monday when Tim Scott, assistant superintendent of district operations for the Douglas County School System, assumes the superintendent position. Dalton Board of Education members named Scott the new superintendent on Wednesday.

Amonett was one of the two finalists for the position. Wednesday evening, as he packed boxes in the superintendent’s office, he said he was pleased with the board’s decision. In fact, even though he hadn’t been named superintendent, Amonett sounded as if he had just won the Super Bowl. 

“I’m going on vacation,” he laughed. “That’s what I am doing next.”

Not exactly “I’m going to Disney World!” but the smile on Amonett’s face looked like that of a man content and happy and deserving of a break. While he said he has enjoyed serving as interim superintendent, he has also greatly missed being a grandfather.

Even before the announcement of Scott as the new superintendent, Amonett had long planned the vacation. Before being elevated to the interim post, Amonett had worked part time as a “retired” educator in the deputy superintendent role. In an interview before the naming of Scott, Amonett said he has always embraced any role the system has asked him to play — from teacher to principal to administrator. He said he is happy to return to his old post and his old office and his chess board — not that he expects to have much time for games. 

“I’ve trusted all the way through that the board would make the right decision in picking whoever is best for the district,” Amonett said. “I still believe that right now. I trust and believe in what they have done.”

After being asked by the school board members to be interim superintendent, Amonett didn’t name a deputy superintendent. He thought that best left to the next superintendent. 

Now, Scott is returning Amonett to that role and embraces the opportunity to work with someone who has so much experience in the school system.

“I am super excited that he would stay with us and continue working,” Scott said. “He has the experience of the tradition of Dalton Public Schools and keeping us moving on our goals. Being able to have someone like that is invaluable. I’ve been in Douglas County for eight years, but if I find someone with 28 years of experience in that system, you draw off their history and their knowledge to help guide you and get a better understanding of the community. I am excited with that same kind of opportunity with Don. You can’t replace that kind of knowledge and experience.”

Board member Palmer Griffin and Amonett worked together during Griffin’s long career with the school system, and Griffin said he is pleased that Amonett will still be a resource. 

“I worked alongside Don in lots of positions in my 24 years in Dalton Public Schools and have found Don to be a team member and a team player,” Griffin said. “What you see is what you get with Don, and we hoped he would feel free to come alongside Dr. Scott, which he has, and we appreciate that very greatly. I knew in my heart that was the role he would take with his pride and professionalism and he is looking forward to doing that and is willing to do that.”

Amonett said he expects some semblance of normalcy to return to the administration. 

“Because we have been shorthanded, we have all been swamped,” he said. “I am looking forward to hopefully things settling down. I don’t mean settling down and not continuing to work and to improve. We have got to do those things. From what I know of Dr. Scott, he has some ideas, and we aren’t going to be doing change for the sake of changing. But he wants to look at some things to see what we can do better, and that is what we have been wanting to do.”