Why the Atlanta school board voted to close and repurpose some schools
The Atlanta school board’s unanimous decision late Wednesday to close, repurpose and build additions to more than a dozen schools in the next few years is part of a long-range plan to reshape the district to improve student outcomes. Some parents and community leaders feel the decision to close some schools is short-sighted and the district should focus on providing more resources to those schools.
Why is this happening?
APS officials say the district has capacity for about 70,000 students but currently enrolls roughly 50,000 students. Atlanta’s enrollment has declined by more than 2,000 students over the last decade. The underenrollment in some schools is one of many issues that prevent the district from providing high-quality educational programs, officials say, which it hopes to address as part of its APS Forward 2040 plan. Some of the plans depend on whether Atlanta voters extend a penny sales tax to help pay for school renovations.
How many schools are impacted?
Sixteen school buildings will be repurposed. That means some schools will close, others will merge, and one middle school will be converted to an elementary school. Community members raised concerns this week that closed school buildings could become blighted properties.
Atlanta Superintendent Bryan Johnson said the district will make use of empty buildings so that doesn’t happen.
“Historically ... we may not have done as good a job as we should have done with making sure that facilities can be maximized for the community,” he said. “We will 100% look at, ‘What can we do in these cases?’”
What are the objections?
Parents and community members say the schools are the heart of the community and are worried about issues such as how students will get to and from school. Some communities rely on schools to provide critical resources, such as meals, health care and social services. Critics fear the closures will lower property values in those communities and drive more students to charter schools and homeschooling.
When will the changes take place?
The closures and additions would begin at the 2027-28 school year.
What happens to the students at these schools?
The students will be zoned to attend other nearby schools in the district.
What happens next?
The board needs to approve new attendance zones next year for the district, which is necessary to determine which schools students will attend once the closures are done. The district plans to have more community meetings and create task force subcommittees for the repurposing and other categories.
APS school closure plan
Atlanta Public Schools is considering a proposal that would close, repurpose, combine or build additions to more than a dozen schools.
The Plan: The district is built for more than 70,000 students, yet currently serves about 50,000 students. These schools could be closed, changed or renovated
Reaction: Community members gave the school board an earful. Atlanta parents, residents object to plans to close some schools
Guest Essays
APS Chair: Plan is a blueprint for a better future
Nonprofit director: As public schools close in Atlanta, keep the focus on children’s well-being
City Councilman: Think twice before closing Dunbar Elementary
Educator: What Atlanta’s school closures mean for our educators
Student: Plan benefits students, reduces overcrowding, but comes at a cost
Parent: How APS facilities master plan can be a path forward for students
About the Author
Martha Dalton is a journalist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, writing about K-12 education. She was previously a senior education reporter at WABE, Atlanta's NPR affiliate. Before that, she was a general assignment reporter at CNN Radio. Martha has worked in media for more than 20 years. She taught elementary school in a previous life.
