Hearing on new elementary school in Mary Lin, Morningside area

Atlanta school leaders will hold a public hearing Thursday on the proposed attendance zone for a new elementary school designed to relieve overcrowding at two existing campuses.

The new school is scheduled to open in August in the Poncey-Highland area. It will have room for 450 students who previously were zoned to attend nearby Morningside and Mary Lin elementary schools.

Both existing schools are over capacity. Morningside has room for 648 students, but teaches 980, according to the district. Mary Lin has room for 432 students, but enrolls 549, according to district figures.

The hearing begins at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at Grady High, 929 Charles Allen Drive.

Here are details about the proposal:

• The district will spend about $16 million to rebuild the current kindergarten annex at 1246 Ponce de Leon Avenue into a new elementary school. The school is temporarily called New Northeast Elementary, but a committee will select a permanent name.

• The new school will enroll students who live in parts of Midtown and the Atkins Park, Druid Hills, Poncey-Highland, Virginia Highland and St. Charles/Greenwood neighborhoods. The expected enrollment is 383 students.

• Morningside Elementary will enroll students from parts of Midtown and the Ansley Park, Piedmont Heights, Sherwood Forest and Morningside/Lenox Park areas. The new enrollment is predicted to drop to 606 students.

• Mary Lin Elementary will enroll students from Candler Park, Inman Park and Lake Claire. The new enrollment is predicted to drop to 436 students, which would be four students above capacity. District leaders said a long-term solution will be needed for overcrowding at this school.

Additional information can be found on the school system’s Web site: www.atlanta.k12.ga.us. Go to the “Hot Topics” box and click on the link for “Morningside-Lin-New school rezoning proposal.”

The school board is scheduled to discuss the proposal during its Oct. 6 meeting.