2 Atlanta elementaries targeted for closing

Atlanta school officials have proposed closing two elementary schools and merging two others at the end of the school year.

The move to shut down Blalock and Williams elementary schools comes as nearby Bankhead Courts and Bowen Homes housing developments are closing. The system also proposed merging Hope and Hill elementary schools in the Old Fourth Ward because of declining student enrollment.

“It is no longer financially viable to keep these schools open the way they are,” district spokesman Joe Manguno said.

The district can save about $500,000 for each school closed, said Chuck Burbridge, the chief financial officer.

About 1,100 students attend the four schools.

Williams Elementary parent Shannon Hollman said she understands the district’s decision, especially since enrollment is dropping as families relocate. But she hoped the district would find a way to keep her school open.

“I went to school here and I really wanted my kids to go through it, too,” said Hollman, who has a first-grader and a child in pre-kindergarten. “It just makes me so sad.”

About 20 parents attended a public hearing on the proposal Tuesday night at Williams Elementary. Other hearings are scheduled for later this month. The earliest the school board can vote on the plan is February.

Williams Elementary is in the middle of Bowen Homes, which the Atlanta Housing Authority is scheduled to close by the end of August. Students who remain in the area will attend either Usher or Towns elementary schools next year, depending on where they live.

Atlanta school officials have a history of closing schools when enrollment dips too low. The district shut down Waters Elementary and Walden Middle schools at the end of last school year because of declining numbers after nearby housing projects closed.

The district’s student enrollment, close to 60,000 in 1996, is now about 50,000, according to state figures.

Hope Elementary currently teaches less than 200 students, down from 288 in the 2000-01 school year. Hill enrolls about 300 students, down from 526 in the 2000-01 school year. The district’s proposal to merge Hill and Hope would place all students at Hope.

Here are the dates for the additional hearings:

Blalock Elementary will hold hearings Jan. 15 and 22, both at 6 p.m. at the school, 1445 Maynard Road.

Hill and Hope elementary schools will host meetings Thursday and Jan. 29, both at 6 p.m., at B.E.S.T. Academy, 320 Irwin Street.

Williams Elementary will host a second meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the school, 1065 Wilkes Circle.