AJC DeKalb education reporter Ty Tagami has a good story in MyAJC.com this morning about the proposed annexation of Druid Hills and the impact on schools and families, especially those outside the boundaries who could be left without a high school.
Credit: Maureen Downey
Credit: Maureen Downey
In a new report released this week and discussed on the blog earlier, DeKalb Schools contends only 311 Druid Hills High School students live in the area that would go to Atlanta under the proposed map. The other 1,075 students live outside the annexation area and would be stranded, along with about 40 teachers.
The question is where those students and teachers -- and those from affected elementary schools -- would end up if annexation succeeded and the schools somehow became part of the Atlanta Public Schools.
Tagami writes: (This is only an excerpt.)
The report is clearly aimed at undermining support for annexation, a movement that gained steam after Thurmond's administration denied a petition by parents in the area to control their own schools. Parents at Druid Hills High and its six feeder schools wanted to use a new state law to create a "charter cluster," a group of public schools under independent management. That movement is now dead, and the annexation would split the cluster in two.
At least two members of the steering committee for a pro-annexation group, Matt Lewis and Kathleen Mathers, hail from the now defunct Druid Hills Charter Cluster governing board. They are only stoking a fire that was already burning, though.
New support comes from parents such as Jefferson Baer, who was frustrated by DeKalb's refusal to allow a charter cluster and "local control." The school two of his three children attend, Fernbank Elementary, is excellent, he said. But he described Druid Hills Middle School, where his oldest child is in sixth grade, as a weak link in the cluster. "I think there are things that could be improved on, potentially, and I think that's the idea behind having the school cluster — or moving to Atlanta."
The group leading the push, Together In Atlanta, issued a statement Tuesday disputing the accuracy of the school district's tax claims (DeKalb says the bills are higher in Atlanta) and student displacement numbers.
The split-up of Druid Hills High may have the most potential to agitate parents. Staci Melton, for one, feels left out in the cold and uncertain about the future. She has two children and lives in the Druid Hills High attendance zone — but outside the annexation map. Her oldest child goes to a magnet school and is on track to remain in the district's schools for high achievers outside the cluster. But her youngest could wind up anywhere when he's ready for high school.
"I'm worried about my son, and I'm worried about our property values and I'm worried about the whole county collapsing financially because of this," Melton said.
The decision by the school district to fight annexation if schools are at stake prompted these concerns from a DeKalb resident who attended the board meeting. The resident wrote:
Both Chairman Johnson and Superintendent Thurmond mentioned that they want to set aside money for attorneys to investigate and possibly litigate the Atlanta annexation.
Is this legal and possible? If this school system sets aside $2.5 million dollars for a lawsuit against its own citizens, can they be sued for misuse of taxpayer funds given everything within the school system that they are not doing and funding? Is it even the school system's place to fight annexation?
What do you think?
Is it the place of DeKalb Schools to fight annexation? Clearly, it could impact DeKalb students. As with any annexation, there are winners and losers.
Who wins here and who loses?
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