Sunday, February 13, 2011
News What's going on with DeKalb County Schools 2: Electric boogaloo
Posted by Emma Harger on Sun, Feb 13, 2011 at 9:10 AM
- DCSS
Following last month's proposed redistricting and school closure plans, which we covered here, DeKalb County Schools has edited its proposed closure list from 14 down to eight schools. The system's warned, however, that the others — and more — could possibly close as soon as summer 2012.
The redistricting plan's now in its final stages. Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson's recommendations, which the public learned at a packed meeting last week, will be presented to the school board on March 7. Board members will either approve the recommendations or kick the can down the road again to deal with this next year. (That's what happened last time.)
Tyson said in an AJC article that she recommended these changes based on looking at residents' complaints and deciding that the 2020 Vision project was moving too quickly without enough financial data. She also admitted that there probably isn't a perfect porridge:
“Is there a plan that makes everyone happy? No... These difficult decisions will allow the school system to redirect in the first year alone $12.4 million toward student achievement.”
There are two opportunities for public comment before the vote: March 1 and 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the DeKalb County Schools' main office, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain.
See a full list of plans below the jump.
The school system's plan proposes closing the following eight schools and move the students to nearby schools:
• Atherton Elementary (students moved to Canby Lane, Rowland and Snapfinger Elementary).
• Avondale High, although part of it will remain open for DeKalb School of the Arts use (students moved to Clarkston, Druid Hills and Towers High).
• Avondale Middle (students moved to Bethune, Freedom and Shamrock/Druid Hills Middle).
• Glen Haven Elementary (students moved to Midway, Rowland and Snapfinger Elementary).
• Gresham Park Elementary (students moved to Clifton, Flat Shoals, McNair and Meadowview Elementary).
• Medlock Elementary (students moved to Avondale, Laurel Ridge and McLendon Elementary).
• Peachcrest Elementary (students moved to Midway and Knollwood Elementary).
• Sky Haven Elementary (students moved to McNair and Meadowview Elementary).
There's more:
• Change attendance lines: Dunwoody Elementary becomes a K-5 school and students from Austin, Vanderlyn, Chesnut and Kingsley Elementary are redistricted there.
• Remove the split feeder at Sagamore Hills Elementary, which currently feeds into both Druid Hills and Lakeside High attendance areas.
• Utilize more of Briar Vista Elementary via redistricting students from Fernbank and Sagamore Hills Elementary.
• Redistrict Pleasantdale, Livsey and Midvale Elementary to relieve overcrowding at Pleasantdale.
• Redistrict Princeton Elementary to Rock Chapel Elementary to relieve overcrowding at Princeton.
• Reduce the travel time of students to Flat Rock Elementary by changing Flat Rock into a theme school and Bouie Theme School into a neighborhood school.
• Redistrict Chapel Hill Elementary to Bob Mathis and Oak View Elementary to relieve overcrowding at Chapel Hill.
According to the school system, the changes will impact about 9,000 students and save $12.4 million a year.
Source of all information: 2020 Vision
(Full disclosure: The writer attended DeKalb schools for all of her K-12 years. Her mother teaches at Druid Hills Middle School.)
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