Parents wonder if they should leave DeKalb in face of possible school closures

The tentative plan is part of a yearslong redistricting effort to combat a decade of declining enrollment and plan for the future of the state’s third-largest school system. It’s just a starting point, the district stressed — expected to change in the coming months before district leaders make any final decisions.

But parents were dismayed and confused to see their neighborhood schools on the list and to know so few answers are available right now. Any changes wouldn’t go into effect until fall 2027 at the earliest, and are expected to be implemented gradually over six to eight years. That means it could easily be 2035 before the plan is fully realized, which has some parents of young children worried and wondering if they should keep their kids enrolled in DeKalb.

Credit: Courtesy of Matt Totten

Credit: Courtesy of Matt Totten

“Families like ours, they’re doing the same calculus,” Totten said. His two oldest kids attend Vanderlyn Elementary, which is listed for possible closure. “Where’s our 3-year-old going to end up?”

The family had already been wondering if private school was a better choice for their three young children. “This is kind of the icing on the cake.”

The DeKalb County School District said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that it’s looking for feedback about the possible closures.

“We understand that any discussion of school consolidations and closures can bring up many emotions and concerns; it reflects how much people care about our schools,” the statement read. “That’s why we are asking all parents, staff, and community members to take our Scenario Survey during this four-month feedback period. Your input will be used to create another round of scenarios.”

Molanda Hargrove said she feels similarly. Her son is in 10th grade at Towers High School in Decatur, which could be converted to a middle school per the initial plan. They planned to move over the summer, but intended to stay near the school her son loves. Now, it doesn’t feel like there’s a point.

“I was shocked‚” Hargrove said.

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Ben Hardaway’s 8-year-old attends Globe Academy, a DeKalb charter school. The school is privately run and won’t be affected by the district’s plans, but the entire conversation concerns Hardaway.

“It actually makes me more interested in moving, specifically moving my child to another school district,” he said. “When I hear closures, it sounds like disinvestment in a key area.”

There’s no avoiding the fact that DeKalb County has a capacity problem. The district has room to educate about 18,000 more students than it currently is — that’s more students than nearby Rockdale County current enrolls. Enrollment has been trending downward — about 10% over the past decade — thanks to demographic changes, declining birth rates and the rise of school choice. Schools that are underused are more expensive to operate, and DeKalb leaders say they can better serve students in larger schools.

“To me, I see those supports in place at our school,” said Courtney Ruben, whose first grader and fifth grader attend McNair Discovery Learning Academy. At 55% capacity, the school is slated for possible closure, along with several others in Decatur.

The initial plan just considers building capacity and suitability. District officials will release possible plans for academic programs and attendance boundaries later this year.

The phased rollout is part of what is making things hard for some parents, said Jennifer Howard, whose son is a third grader at Kingsley Elementary, one of the schools on the list to be closed or repurposed. She said she doesn’t want to consider leaving DeKalb schools, but doesn’t know what the initial plan means for her family.

“There’s not a plan of how things will move forward,” she said. “I would really like to see a plan that focuses on academics … not a plan of destruction with no plan of success.”

The district is encouraging families to stay engaged throughout the process: “Your input will help ensure long-term, sustainable, high-quality schools for all students.”

The early plans released this week were the result of 20 months of work by district staff, a 150-person committee and a consulting firm. The process started under former Superintendent Devon Horton, who resigned last year after being indicted in Illinois on federal charges related to an alleged kickback scheme at his previous job. But he was one in a long line of superintendents that tried to tackle the underuse and overcapacity problems in DeKalb’s schools.

“In the grand scheme of things, this is a necessary process,” said David Ziskind, a Dunwoody father of three. “These conversations have been avoided for a number of years.” He said he was disappointed to see so few details in what he called “a straw man of a plan,” but is cautiously optimistic about what the DeKalb County School District will look like 10 years from now.

Ruben said she has loved having her kids in several schools in the Decatur area, and hopes to stay in DeKalb County. But for her family and others across the district, things feel uncertain.

“I want to. That was my goal — but I don’t know what it will look like in the future,” Ruben said. “So who knows?”

How to weigh in

You can review the information on the district’s website and fill out a survey. You can also attend a community meeting in the next couple of months to share your thoughts there.

In-person meetings will be held at 6 p.m. Registration is not required.

Virtual meetings will be held at noon. Register for February meetings here, and March meetings here.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is exploring the factors contributing to public school closures in metro Atlanta and Georgia. If you have a story idea related to school closures, reach out to education@ajc.com.