Atlanta schools adjust to delayed Forest Cove demolition

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Many of the children who live at Forest Cove Apartments attend one of three schools currently operated by Purpose Built Schools Atlanta. A fourth school, Thomasville Heights Elementary, located across the street from the housing complex, closed this summer but could reopen if the apartment complex is rebuilt.

Ayana Meriweather walks with her son and her siblings back to the Forest Cove Apartments in Atlanta after the bus dropped the children off from Slater Elementary School during the third week of school. For months, the city and community groups have been trying to relocate the condemned complex’s residents but were unable to do so before the school year started. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

A school bus from Slater Elementary School stops in front of the Forest Cove Apartments. The bus carries students 3 1/2 miles away, although Thomasville Heights Elementary School is across the street from the complex. The Atlanta Board of Education closed Thomasville Heights — perhaps temporarily — due to the neighborhood emptying out. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Students line up at T.H. Slater Elementary School. As of the third week of the school year, there were still 157 students with Forest Cove addresses enrolled at the local elementary, middle and high schools. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Students go to class at T.H. Slater Elementary School. The school’s enrollment grew from a projected 460-490 students to over 560 as Forest Cove children showed up. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Kindergarten students participate in Ariel Ortega’s class at T.H. Slater Elementary School. In the wake of the pandemic, Slater provides extra help for students. Here, kindergartners use laptops to tackle lessons tailored to their needs as their teacher supervises. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Slater's principal Jovan Miles says of the new students from Forest Cove Apartments: “While they’re here, we try to provide them as normal an experience as possible because we know that at some point for many of them, their lives are going to be disrupted pretty significantly by the move.” (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Kindergarten students at T.H. Slater Elementary School show their teacher Kencheryl Smalls that they know the answer. The influx of new students has led to larger class sizes, new bus routes and a last-minute push to hire staff. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Third grade students sit in a classroom at T.H. Slater Elementary School. As new homes are found for Forest Cove families, children are expected to transfer schools again as they leave the area. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Students leave the T.H. Slater Elementary School building on a recent Thursday. Principal Jovan Miles, who previously served as Thomasville Heights’ principal, says, “The whole goal is just to mitigate as much of the potential disruption, potential trauma as possible by creating some continuity with school." (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

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Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Ayana Meriweather walks with her son and her siblings back to the Forest Cove Apartments in Atlanta after the bus dropped the children off from Slater Elementary School during the third week of school. For months, the city and community groups have been trying to relocate the condemned complex’s residents but were unable to do so before the school year started. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

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