Why isn’t superintendent handling school closings in DeKalb?
I had one question at the end of tonight’s nearly four hour Citizens Planning Task Force meeting on which under-capacity DeKalb schools to close: Why didn’t the DeKalb County schools superintendent make this tough decision?
More than 350 parents and children attended a meeting on possible school closings in DeKalb to show support for their schools. AJC/Hyosub Shin
Instead, a citizen task force is doing the hard, no-win job of paring down an original list of 83 schools to four for possible closing and consolidation. The task force will present its findings to the county school board in two weeks, and the board will make the actual decision of which schools to close after another round of public hearings.
Tonight, the dwindling list went from 14 to 10 with the elimination of Medlock, Briar Vista, Laurel Ridge and Avondale elementaries. The task force voted those schools off the list because the schools around them lacked the capacity to absorb the displaced students. (See the AJC story.)
Before the meeting started, someone pointed out to me that Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall would have made this decision on her own without a 20-member task force, six highly emotional public meetings and all this sturm and drang. Attended by 350 parents and students, tonight’s meeting included entreaties and poetry by students, impassioned speeches by parents, suggestions of racially driven decision-making by a task force members and plans for a possible second meeting this week.
Why go through such a public and protracted drama? Isn’t school leadership supposed to confront the hard choices?
The task force is making its decisions based on data supplied by the county. It is supposed to come up with candidates for closure and consolidation based on quantifiable criteria.
The main considerations of the task force are factual, including which schools are under capacity, are unlikely to regain students and are close to schools with empty seats. To discern which schools best match that criteria, the task force is using information supplied by county staff.
So why couldn’t county staff use the same data to come up with four schools for the superintendent? It would have been quicker and easier. Now, parents keep having to return to these task force meetings, waving the same “Save our school” signs and making the same pleas to spare their schools.
With a $115 million deficit, DeKalb has to close schools. Is it an abdication of duty to push this unpleasant, unpopular and and time-consuming job onto a task force operating under incredible pressure and deadlines?
I believe the public has a right to be heard in this process, but I think they ought to be talking to the school board and superintendent and not 20 citizen volunteers.
What do you think?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
125 comments Add your comment
JacketFan
March 31st, 2010
10:36 am
No, Keith shouldn’t be kicked out. You can’t censor someone because you don’t agree with what they are saying. That’s no more “right” than the stuff he’s going on about.
Ole Guy
March 31st, 2010
10:38 am
Public discourse is the only way to arrive at acceptable results. Whether it’s because county leaders do not wish to become embroiled in controversial issues, or simply a return to “government of, by, and for the people” is up for conjecture. Either way, it’s great that concerned citizens step up to the plate and take command of their collective destinies. While it remains somewhat disheartening to see racial interjections throughout the dynamics of discussion, the “majority rule” concept prevails. Race notwithstanding, the folks who don’t get their way, right, wrong, or indifferent, simply will have to adjust. I believe that’s what a society is all about.
Town Crier
March 31st, 2010
10:41 am
If anyone has an opinion we don’t like let’s just kick them off the blog….Maybe mommie can make those evil people stop just like she did when you were living at home until you were 25.
Town Crier
March 31st, 2010
10:43 am
Please make that bad ol Keith stop……it just isn’t “fair” that he writes something I don’t like. Mommy make him stop…….
Private School Parent
March 31st, 2010
10:45 am
We don’t have these issues in the private school my children attend.
sees the future
March 31st, 2010
10:50 am
How this become a fight about race? How sad. Its always the same thing with you people.
I moved here from out of state four years ago and I am constantly amazed how everything here turns every community issue into a nasty race fight.
I have never seen this anywhere else–even other places in the south. What is it about the people here? It gets so old and tiresome and it makes EVERYONE LOOK BAD–not just whites and not just blacks.
You fight and squabble and spout statistics at each other while your city and towns turn to garbage and everyone who hopes for something better and can find a way out leaves as fast as they can. But you don’t notice, because you’re so busy fighting about the same old thing.
I will say I think the AJC does its part to keep the fight going. I guess it sells papers, but the cost to the community is devastating.
I wish I had never moved here. I wish I could sell my house and leave. I wish my children didn’t have to live in a place where people are so openly hostile toward others who have THE SAME PROBLEMS but different skin. You need to stop this and learn to get along to SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS TOGETHER.
Please, where do you see this going? Surely no place good.
JacketFan
March 31st, 2010
10:51 am
I swear, it’s as though we’ve gone back to 1950. This is all just incredibly sad.
Vince
March 31st, 2010
10:51 am
Cammi317
Laurel Ridge has 408 students, has trailers, and is built to accomodate students in wheelchairs. To move the OI program from there would result in huge costs to the school system. They would essentially have to rebuild restroom facilities, hire more nurses, and level out any hills, ramps or stairs in a receiving school.
Allen
Past closed Dekalb Schools (that I can remember)
Skyland Elementary – north Dekalb
Northwoods Elementary -north Dekalb
Dunwoody Elementary – north Dekalb
Shallowford Elementary – north Dekalb
Sexton Woods – north Dekalb
Nancy Creek – north Dekalb
Briarcliff High School – north Dekalb
Heritage School – central Dekalb
Tucker Elementary – central Dekalb
Rehoboth Elementary – central Dekalb
Forrest Hills Elementary – central Dekalb
Terry Mill Elementary – south Dekalb
Tilson Elementary – south Dekalb
nita
March 31st, 2010
10:59 am
As a black mother of school aged children, i agree with the earlier post, if most of dekalbs students are black, they will suffer the biggest loss in school closings. simple math. I went to school when there were 29-30 kids in the classroom, if the schools would impose corporal punishment and control of classrooms back to teachers, we can again work with larger classrooms. it ought to be illegal to expect someone else to watch your child 7hours a day and not be able to discipline them. They should pass a law that charge parents for unruly children. parents whose children come to school and act up, should pay a fine. if you can’t teach your child common respect for teachers and authority, then you should be prepared to pay heavily with your hard earned cash. It time for parents to get control over their children.
Whatever, Dude... Whatever
March 31st, 2010
11:26 am
@Town Crier: It would be different if Keith started his comments with FACTS and staying on topic. It’s fine to have a dissenting argument, but at least stay on topic, be factual, and don’t be insulting or sensational for the sole purpose of riling people up. That’s just stupid and a waste of space.
Whatever, Dude... Whatever
March 31st, 2010
11:28 am
Then why, prey tell, are you commenting, Private School Parent?? If you don’t have a child in DCSS, this has no bearing on you, right?
Whatever, Dude... Whatever
March 31st, 2010
11:31 am
@Sees the Future: Read up a little on the AJC’s history of fanning the flames of racial discord. They practically started the race riots of Atlanta by publishing stories about how black men were only out to rape their white women, who were unspoiled, pure, and the absolute pinnacles of virtue.
After you read about that, stories like this won’t surprise you anymore.
EdHawk
March 31st, 2010
11:46 am
Why do you think they passed this off? If you stayed for the meeting itself you would have seen task force member George Maddox ranting at the lack of closing of a “damn school in the north”. The Board wants nothing to do with the cries of racism and favoritism that will come from making the inevitable choice to close the schools that are woefully under populated, primarily located in south Dekalb. IF this is the course we have to take to close this budget gap then a school that is at half capacity should be closed.
What is being overlooked is the fact that school closing should have never happened. Decades of misuse of tax dollars, of increasing spending to match increased tax revenues…”use it or lose it” budget mentality put us in this situation. Now neighborhoods are pitted against each other and it becomes a north vs. south / rich vs. poor / black vs. white issue.
You wonder why the Board of Education wants a “Citizen Group” running interference? Do you really??
Maureen Downey
March 31st, 2010
11:53 am
Edhawk, I stayed for the meeting and heard Mr. Maddox’s comments. I don’t think any politicians can resist playing to an audience, in this case some parents willing to believe that there is something more at play here than numbers.
I understand that the board might want the political cover of a citizen task force, but board members will still be held responsible. I think the task force has a lot of smart people on it and will come up with a list that is based on the data.
Maureen
Dunwoody Mom
March 31st, 2010
11:57 am
Mr. Maddox was appointed by Sarah Copelin-Wood. I think his reaction is self-explanatory.
Maureen Downey
March 31st, 2010
11:59 am
Whatever, Don’t mind legit criticisms of the paper but the race riot you are referring to occurred in 1906. I have to tell you that race remains an issue in so many events in Georgia. The media doesn’t have to interject race; it’s always there. In fact, I think the media sometimes downplays the role of race in many political issues.
Maureen
LSH
March 31st, 2010
12:07 pm
The problem is that some parents mistake “parent input” for “parent decision making”.
Wasted space
March 31st, 2010
12:08 pm
I can’t believe this article was even printed. Do you NOT know that the supe is under investigation and on leave due to that investigation?
EdHawk
March 31st, 2010
12:14 pm
Marueen, I didn’t know the “Citizen’s” task force was comprised of politicians? Wasn’t the point to take politics out of the equation??
A Different Opinion
March 31st, 2010
12:27 pm
sees the future
March 31st, 2010
10:50 am
sees the future – It’s always about race.
Okay, one more time……no schools have to close if only one thing is done……everybody listening?…..Get Rid Of The School Busing (Transportation) System Costs” or as an alternative, if your child wants or needs to ride the school bus to and from school, institute a fee system to cover the cost of providing that transportation…..easy, easy, easy
Maureen Downey
March 31st, 2010
12:28 pm
Wasted space, Yes, I do know. But Lewis could have done this before he took leave. Or the new super could have stepped in. Or the board itself.
Teacher on Duty Free Lunch
March 31st, 2010
12:29 pm
I agree with the decision to have a community task force. At least one school on the list (Midway) seemed to have been targeted by the administration for closure, despite the fact that it did not even meet the threshold for number of students. In the end, the Board will do what it pleases, but at least this committee was meant to bring some sense of fairness to this process. Schools will close, but we must be fair and equitable about how they are chosen.
Ernest
March 31st, 2010
12:34 pm
Good list by Vince above. Leslie J. Steele also closed in South DeKalb however that is the site for McNair Academy. FWIW, three small schools (Tilson, Terry Mill, and LJ Steele) were combined into one site. That may be a model the school system may consider throughout the district for reducing the inventory of small schools.
Ernest
March 31st, 2010
12:43 pm
EdHawk, George Maddox is actually a ‘former’ state representative.
Vince
March 31st, 2010
1:02 pm
Ernest…I thought about adding L.J.Steele to the list, but it really just got transformed into the McNair superschool.
Dunwoody Mom
March 31st, 2010
1:07 pm
I have a question: Why are the Magnet schools “off the table”?
Maureen Downey
March 31st, 2010
1:12 pm
Dunwoody Mom, I am not clear on that and think there is more to that issue. The magnets are costing the county more per pupil to operate so there ought to be a discussion now given the budget crisis.
One figure quoted to me is that the DeKalb School of the Arts is costing $3,000 more per student. Is that reasonable now?
Maureen
Allen
March 31st, 2010
1:14 pm
Thanks for the list Vince. If you caught everything, in recent years there were 6 elementaries closed in N. DeKalb, 4 in Central and 2 in South. Currently we’re looking at closing 4 in South. Those numbers make this look like roughly evening things out when looked at over a few years as opoosed to looking at just this year but I could be wrong . . .
Cletus Dooley Earnhardt SR.
March 31st, 2010
1:17 pm
Keith for a smmartt guyy your’ee grammmar is almostt as bad as myne andd i dropped out of the fiftth grayde to marrry my sisster.
GO UGA!
Concerned S.Dekalb Parent
March 31st, 2010
1:17 pm
Private School Parent,
I’m glad you’re not having issues at your child’s private school. You obviously made the right decision and chose to send your child to the best school your money could buy. This may be a little off topic but many parents don’t have the option to choose their child’s school because they’re in a different social economic class as yourself. Instead they’re told to go to run down neighborhood schools and it doesn’t matter if the children are learning anything or not. Do our children deserve that? The current educational system is a backwards monopoly that needs a reform of its own. All parents should have the right to choose where their children go to school, regardless of their income or where they live especially when we’re all paying taxes. Right now DCSS is paying over $9,500 of tax payer money per student, and yet the district as a whole has not made AYP in years! There’s a problem here, especially in how the money is allocated in North DeKalb versus South DeKalb schools. Every child deserves the right to have a solid education, and this will happen only when parents are empowered to choose their child’s school regardless of their economic status. Schools should be required to compete for our tax dollar and not take it for granted as they currently do. Educational reform is in order and we need it right now.
Nick
March 31st, 2010
1:21 pm
Cammi317 – re: Laurel Ridge – If you look at the numbers and maps posted on the DCSS website (under Citizens Planning TF), Laurel Ridge’s enrollment has been steadily climbing for the past 4 years, and is now at 408 students for the current school year. McLendon ES has no vacancies – it is already at capacity. If Laurel Ridge were to be closed, there are only 200 vacancies in nearby schools, leaving 200 students with no obvious school to relocate to. In fact, the same holds true for Briar Lake and Medlock as well, if either of those schools close, there is not existing capacity for 150-200 of the affected students.
While I commiserate with the families whose schools are still on the list, the fact of the matter is that those schools all have substantial vacancies, and are surrounded by other schools with many vacancies. Sky Haven, Knollwood and Peachcrest all have over 300 vacancies each, and are barely 50% full. Knollwood and Peachcrest are directly adjacent to each other. If Knollwood were to close, Peachcrest has the capacity to absorb those students and still have vacancies left over. Vice versa, Knollwood could absorb over 90% of Peachcrest’s students by itself. Meadowview, with 340 students and 122 vacancies, is directly adjacent to Gresham Park and Clifton, which have approximately 170 vacancies each.
If you look at the map of all the elementary schools in the county, the area containing the last 10 schools on the list has the highest density of elementary schools in the county. There are just more schools per square mile in that area then anywhere else in the county, and the vacancy rates in those schools reflect that fact.
Really Sick&Tired
March 31st, 2010
1:23 pm
“Why didn’t the DeKalb County schools superintendent make this tough decision?”
Because Crawford Lewis and Ramona Tyson are cowards.
Distribution of Money
March 31st, 2010
1:43 pm
Exactly how is more money spent in North Dekalb? The money follows the students. Have you seen the condition of Chamblee High School, Lakeside, or Cross Keys? Also, private school parents (I am not) pay the same taxes as public school parents and then pay their tuition. They have the same rights in these discussions as anyone else.
Should all children have the same opportunities? Absolutely. Can all children accomplish the same things probably not, But they deserve the resources to reach the top of their ability.
Please, I would really like to know how more money is allocated to North Dekalb.
dekalbmom
March 31st, 2010
1:53 pm
Dunwoody Mom & Maureen, The magnet program is off the table, as well as taking the pre-k program out of all but Title 1 schools, because the county is run by the parents who squeak the loudest. And in this case it is the magnet program and potential pre-k parents who did. I don’t think it’s fair that the group of kids that could handle having more in the classroom are the ones that don’t. My 10 year old who is dyslexic is in a classroom of 28 kids….15 of whom need extra help. How is he going to get what he needs? he gets it at home from me, that’s how.
Ann
March 31st, 2010
1:55 pm
Private school parents, glad everything is perfect in your world. The last expensive private school my kids attended had a board of stingy crooks who couldn’t be unseated. If you’re going to get on here, be productive. It’s like the homeschool parents. Don’t get on here and tell those of us who choose to support our neighborhood schools that you’re so much better. Offer suggestions or shut up.
Dunwoody Mom
March 31st, 2010
1:58 pm
Again, sadly, it is our children that need the most help that are getting squeezed. I cannot speak for Wadsworth, but I know that the majority of students at Kittredge do not need a magnet school to be successful. It’s just a status symbol for their parents.
Ann
March 31st, 2010
1:58 pm
All magnet schools are proposed to lose 20 points across all of them. This will result in some changes but not elimination of the magnet programs.
EdHawk
March 31st, 2010
1:59 pm
Ernest, I take comfort in the use of the word “former”. In this day and age that attitude has no place in politics. It clouds the issues and undermines real racism that exists in the world.
Vince
March 31st, 2010
2:33 pm
Concerned S. Dekalb Parent…
You are totally wrong about the money in the south end schools versus the north end schools. Most of the south end schools are Title I schools whereas many, if not most, in the north are not.
On average, a Title I school receives over 150,000 dollars more a year than a non-Title I school. They also receive extra personnel and extra programs.
Forget the myth.
anon
March 31st, 2010
2:58 pm
@Dunwoody Mom: I’m not a Kittredge parent; but I am curious about how you “know that the majority of students at Kittredge do not need a magnet school to be successful.” Have you personally worked with the majority of these students? Did you work with these students in their prior context and somehow assess what they were achieving in their prior setting against what they could have and/or are at Kittredge? Just curious on how you “know” this information and if you are an expert on assessment for HA?
UGA Teacher
March 31st, 2010
3:27 pm
DeKalb has always let the parents run the county- why would they do anything different now?
Ernest
March 31st, 2010
4:31 pm
Dunwoody Mom, Magnet schools were taken off the table for Phase 1, consolidations during FY2011 school year. The rationale was that more time would be needed for planning along with additional information needed to make a decision on those schools at this time. Given the already tight timeline, it was decided to defer those until later. They could be on the list for consideration during Phase 2, consolidations during FY2012.
Ernest
March 31st, 2010
4:43 pm
Vince, great answer again @ 2:33. That is one thing most citizens don’t understand. The general operation budget is comprised of local, state, and federal taxes, for the most part. Costs per student is a simple equation, dividing this number by the number of students. Title 1 dollars are NOT factored into this amount. When you consider the Title 1 dollars along with monies received from the Free and Reduced lunch program, a school in a lower SES area may actually have more school funding that one in a higher SES area.
What some point to are the disparities in PTA funds, which are private donations. IMO, some look at this and assume these are supplements provided by the school district.
Dunwoody Mom
March 31st, 2010
6:03 pm
Because anon, if these children are at Kittredge, they are already successful or else they would not get into Kittredge – or so we are told. Also, the majority of the students at Kittredge came from successful schools. Thanks for the info Ernest. It appears the Magnets are here to stay, but consolidating them with other schools makes sense. I would also like to see Avondale/DSA under one administration. It makes no sense in my view to have 2 separate administration for 2 small student bodies.
It's Me
March 31st, 2010
6:29 pm
Understand that in DeKalb Schools you have (previously and currently) had upper administration that are afraid to make really TOUGH choices! Every time a new tough choice has to be made a new “committee” is formed to deal with it. More often than not leaders have to make very tough choices in any organization. You address the challenge, review your data, make the choice, stand by that decission, listen to arguments and complaints and move forward. You are always going to have a group of people upset over any decission made. Leaders in DeKalb do not want to own their choices so they would rather pawn the difficult task on to someone else to make. I agree that the public should be notified and asked for input through the proper channels. What I do not understand is how the current committee is going to make a truly educated choice on this matter when so many factors play into making it.
Ernest
March 31st, 2010
7:13 pm
I would also like to see Avondale/DSA under one administration. It makes no sense in my view to have 2 separate administration for 2 small student bodies.
Keep that thought, Dunwoody Mom…..
Private School Parent
March 31st, 2010
8:28 pm
I comment on this blog because I pay for your kids to go to school as well as my own. Too bad if you do not like it but don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Rather take an interest in your child’s education and require your “mate” play an active role in raising their offspring.
Sammy Davis Jr.
March 31st, 2010
8:34 pm
Why didn’t he make the cuts?
Because he’s the Candy @ss man!
Who can fill a gas tank
Many times a day?
Then have the nerve to complain about his pay
The Candy @ss; the Candy @ss man.
smoking herb
March 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
Will Herb step up and answer the question? Will Maureen ask it? Stay tuned for the next episode of As The Spin Turns.
It's Me
March 31st, 2010
9:47 pm
It would make perfect sense to have one DSA grades K-12. It also makes sense to ELIMINATE Montessori programs since the entire group of students is less than 350. That means $ taken from other “regular” students to accommodate private school with public $. Even if it were 500 students what does that mean for the other 98,000+? Much of what would make sense to do in DeKalb will not be done due to lack of common sense. DeKalb is broken…badly broken! I cannot believe SACS has not stepped in.