Hans Utz

Buket Urgen

Meet the Members

Hans Utz has lived in Decatur with his family since 2008 and was elected to serve on the Board of Education in 2021. He and his wife have four children, three of whom attend the City Schools of Decatur. Hans is a veteran of the US Army and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He has served on numerous boards related to innovation, as well as the City Schools of Decatur’s Senior Homestead Exemption committee.

Prior to being elected to the Board of Education, Hans served as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer for the City of Atlanta. Hans is an entrepreneur and has invented a device to save lives and help nurses better manage patient care in the ICU.

Hans is currently the Vice Chair of the City Schools of Decatur Board of Education, District 1. He was first elected to the board in 2021 and re-elected in 2023. His current term expires in 2025.

Believes the school system's ranking drop and examples of inequitable treatment of students are concerning.

Access to Education

Believes in prioritizing instructional expenses over administrative costs, including paying teachers competitively.

School Facilities & Resources

Believes the current curriculum provides a "shallow and perfunctory exploration of the contributions of Black Americans," despite student-led efforts to update it.

School Curriculum

Believes the board should select an "experienced and visionary Superintendent" who has a "clear perspective on equitable and creative instruction that sees and serves the whole child, and every child."

Student Wellbeing

Teachers

- The Board of Education runs the public school system, and it is entirely independent from the rest of the city government. 
- Board of Education members work together to make school policy, set the budget, and appoint the superintendent to run the schools day to day. 
- Some Board of Education members are elected by the entire city, while others represent specific districts. 
- Board of Education members are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections.
