Gov. Nathan Deal announced Monday afternoon he would sign an executive order accepting the Georgia Board of Education’s decision to suspend six members of the DeKalb County School Board.

Deal said he will appoint a nominating committee to recommend replacements for the outgoing school board members. The removed board members will have three days to apply to be reappointed, Deal said.

That committee will include current state board of education member Kenneth Mason, former state board member Jim Bostic, Sadie Dennard of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, local non-profit rep Alicia Philipp and Georgia Department of Education rep. Garry McGibeney. Mason will act as chair.

Those targeted in Deal’s impending order include DeKalb school board vets Eugene Walker, Nancy Jester, Donna Edler, Jesse “Jay” Cunningham, Sara Copelin-Wood and Pamela Speaks.

Thanks to looming litigation, Deal’s rendering a decision on the fate of the school board is not a foregone conclusion.

A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, 8:30 a.m. in Fulton Superior Court — with one possible outcome barring the governor from acting on the state board’s recommendation. A hearing before a federal court is set for Friday.

The Neighbor is actively following this story and will post more details as information is available.