Gwinnett County has a new superintendent. Here are 3 things to know about her.

She currently leads a district in Connecticut with 21 schools. In her application for the job in Gwinnett County, which has 142 schools, Estrella wrote that she would bring a “steady, student-centered approach” to the district.

“My purpose is to ensure that every student develops the knowledge, skills and confidence to attain their dreams and aspirations,” she wrote, “and that the district is organized, resourced and held accountable to make that promise real.”

Estrella was not present at Wednesday’s meeting. The district is planning opportunities for the community to meet Estrella during the transition period.

The board fired J. Alvin Wilbanks in 2021, cutting his contract short after he led the district for 25 years. Calvin Watts was his replacement, and served less than four years before the board also cut his contract short. Al Taylor, previously the district’s chief of schools, has been serving as interim superintendent since April 2025.

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Here are a few things to know about Alexandra Estrella

She’s a first-generation Latin American.

Estrella is fluent in both oral and written Spanish, according to her resume. And her profile on the Norwalk Public Schools website bills her as a “first-generation Latina American” who is a “visionary, innovating, forward-thinking leader.”

In 2008, she opened a dual-language school in New York City called Esperanza Preparatory Academy. She went on to establish New York City’s first dual-language preschool program, and expanded pathways for multilingual learners in Norwalk Public Schools.

It’s noteworthy for a district like Gwinnett, where Hispanic students now make up the largest demographic group in the district. The district has added more than 10,000 Hispanic students in the last decade, jumping from 30% to 36% of Gwinnett’s population. In the previous school year, the district had 37,000 English learners.

“I think the fact that she’s Hispanic, the fact that she’s bilingual will resonate with the largest group of students we have in Gwinnett County Public Schools,” board member Steven Knudsen said.

Estrella wrote in her application that she is committed to building a school system “where barriers such as circumstance, language, disability, or zip code never determine what is possible.”

She’s coming from smaller school systems.

Gwinnett County enrolled 179,000 students this school year in 142 schools. Estrella currently leads a school system with 12,000 students in 21 schools.

She previously worked for seven years as the superintendent of Community School District 4 in East Harlem. She led 23 schools and approximately 13,500 students. Her resume notes that the school system was part of the New York City Public Schools, which is the largest school system in the country.

Board Vice Chair Adrienne Simmons said Estrella is a “visionary leader” who will help them address growing gaps in student achievement. Other board members said they expect her to make instructional decisions based on data and to differentiate between the needs in different parts of the district.

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter,” Simmons said.

Her compensation is likely to top $400K.

Based on previous superintendent’s compensation packages, Estrella is likely to bring in more than $400,000 a year for taking on the job.

Watts’ annual base salary was $380,971, according to his contract. But in 2024, he was paid a total of $475,191, per a state database of public employees’ salaries. His contract included a $1,500 transportation allowance and a $1,200 expense allowance each month. It also included a retention incentive in which the district would pay more than $175,000 into the Teacher Retirement System of Georgia on his behalf. The board also paid $675,000 to buy out his contract.

Watts’ base salary was in line with nearby districts: Devon Horton, who led the DeKalb County School District for two years, had a base salary of $360,000. Chris Ragsdale, the longtime superintendent in Cobb County, has a base salary of $350,000.

The board did not discuss the details of Estrella’s contract. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution filed an open records request for a copy of the contract, but did not receive it by the time of publication.