APS 2040 plan benefits students, reduces overcrowding, but comes at a cost

Editor’s Note: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is running a series of guest essays about APS Forward 2040, the long-range plan under discussion in Atlanta Public Schools to reshape its future. Here is the latest of these essays:

Midtown High School has struggled with the problem of overcrowding over the years. With solutions ranging from the addition of a new building in 2021 to discussions about redistricting in 2023, it’s seemed that overcrowding has forever been a top priority for Midtown’s agenda.

By following through with the APS Forward 2040 plan, overcrowding at Midtown can be reduced. With Midtown’s capacity at 100.8%, it is vital that steps are taken to reduce this overcrowding and thus make Midtown’s facilities more efficient. By implementing APS 2040, or a plan similar to this one, the schools across our district could be utilized better by ensuring that there is proper funding for each school in the district, as well as strong educational frameworks and conditions of schools.

Henry Moye is a senior at Midtown High School who works as the editor-in-chief for Midtown’s school newspaper, the Southerner. (Courtesy)

However, the problem of overenrolled and underenrolled schools doesn’t just affect Midtown. For example, in two years, Maynard Jackson High School will be at 123.3% capacity, way over its limit of students. Overcrowding is dangerous at any school because it reduces the school’s ability to truly serve its students. For example, if it’s too many students in a classroom for teachers to handle or too many students for the number of seats in the cafeteria, students are neglected, and the quality of learning deteriorates. That’s why a redistricting plan, whether it’s changing feeder schools or increasing construction at various schools, would be extremely beneficial.

While the plan would be extremely beneficial in maximizing the usage of APS facilities, the one aspect of this plan that blares alarms for me is the cost. Because of a deficit last fiscal year, APS had to cut back on funding in several different key areas, and it has strained the district from expanding educational capabilities. By adding hundreds of millions of dollars to its strained finances, this problem would only worsen, ultimately affecting thousands of students in the district.

While many people believe that the plan could be harmful because it could send students to lower-performing schools, I still believe that the best plan forward would be to increase construction at schools, particularly those struggling with overcrowding.