Atlanta Public Schools officials will allow many South Atlanta High School students who failed their classes to advance through high school toward graduation.

At the end of the 2013-14 school year, former South Atlanta principal Charlotte Davis changed about 144 student grades from failing to passing with scant justification.

District employees first reported the problems at South Atlanta at the end of the 2013-14 school year, but it took APS a year to investigate the allegations and inform parents that their children had been affected.

In letters sent to 113 South Atlanta parents late last month, Associate Superintendent Timothy Gadson acknowledged that students may not have mastered some course content.

Parents should schedule a meeting with a school counselor to discuss “academic support services,” Gadson wrote.

“Please know that it is our goal to ensure that your child is successful.”

Davis was suspended shortly before the end of the past school year. She has since resigned.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Views of the exterior of Druid Hills High School in Atlanta shown on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. In the plan approved by the DeKalb County school board on Monday, everything but the main building, pictured here, will be demolished in favor of a new school building. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez