After an hour-long executive session that ended about 25 minutes before midnight Thursday, the Bibb County school board unanimously named Deputy Superintendent Susanne Griffin-Ziebart as acting superintendent.

The school system has been without a superintendent since earlier this week when the school board and former Superintendent Romain Dallemand agreed to a $350,000 buyout of his contract.

Griffin-Ziebart, the deputy superintendent of school improvement and redesign, will serve as acting superintendent for the next 30 days or until an interim superintendent is hired, whichever comes first.

“The board will be reconvening to establish a protocol for how we will proceed,” said interim school board President Sue Sipe after the vote.

Acting school board president Susan Sipe said the board is aiming to meet next week about how to move forward. She declined to say how many people were considered to be acting superintendent.

Griffin-Ziebart declined to comment on the appointment.

In other business Thursday, the school board voted 7-1 to table a decision on naming a new board president and vice president. Board member Jason Downey voted against tabling the matter.

Sipe, who was elected treasurer by the board last month, has been serving as acting president after the board failed to break a 4-4 deadlock between board members Lynn Farmer and Wanda West for the presidency.

To contact Andrea Castillo, call 744-4331. To contact Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334.