Don’t add to city, school board tells Decatur

Decatur city school board members voted Tuesday to oppose a proposal to annex two large neighborhoods and commercial strips into the city.

Their vote was symbolic — the decision ultimately lies with city officials, not the school board — but it sets a discordant tone for commissioners who will decide Monday whether to pursue annexation anyway.

A city study shows that Decatur, which relies mostly on property taxes for revenue, will need to raise taxes if it doesn’t annex property. However, annexation of the Forrest Hills and Midway Woods neighborhoods could add at least 450 students to the Decatur school system, a significant impact on the 2,800-student district.

Decatur schools Superintendent Phyllis Edwards last week recommended that board members oppose the proposal entirely, including the commercial strips. However, Edwards also said that if she had to deal with any of it, the commercial property — which includes some houses and apartment buildings with at least 160 students — “would be a much better option.”

Edwards is concerned that the additional students would add to already crowded classrooms, forcing the system to pay out-of-pocket to reopen buildings to accommodate more students. Edwards pegged operational costs of an additional building at $750,000, not including repairs.

She also is concerned that funding for the additional students will lag behind their enrollment, since the state distributes money based on head counts that are taken during the year.