A Fulton County judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by the DeKalb School Board asking her to stop the governor from suspending six board members. That leaves only the district’s lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the governor’s intervention.

But in an exclusive interview with WSB, DeKalb’s new superintendent, Michael Thurmond, said he is trying to bring that one to an end as well.

“Everyone involved states, without any reservation, that they would prefer some type of negotiated compromise,” Thurmond said.

That is critical to get beyond the district’s legal issues and concentrate on regaining full accreditation, he said.

Thurmond spoke during a wide-ranging interview that addressed the lawsuit brought by the school district in advance of Governor Nathan Deal’s Monday announcement that he was suspending Eugene Walker, Nancy Jester, Sarah Copelin-Wood, Pamela Speaks, Jesse Cunningham, Jr. and Donna Edler.

He also talked about what he believed are the root causes of the district’s decade of academic decline and why he believes he was “destined” to become superintendent at this time.

You can hear more of Pete Combs’ exclusive interview with Michael Thurmond on Atlanta’s Morning News Sunday Edition. It airs Sunday morning at 8 a.m.