Decatur’s commission and school board are holding rare joint session beginning 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Schools Decatur’s central office, 125 Electric Ave. This is the second joint session this year, the last one was June 7.
The agenda describes it simply as an “annexation metrics discussion.”
It’s possible that Superintendent David Dude will reveal updated enrollment projections, which he’s been waiting on for awhile. CSD’s total enrollment climbed over 5,000 in August and doesn’t seem to be slowing down from the 7 to 12 percent increase per year since 2009.
It’s also possible, though not known for sure, annexation talks will center on the area just northeast of the city.
The city has long eyed Suburban Plaza and surrounding properties as annexation possibilities. That area has only become more commercially viable with the addition of a Walmart and developments that will eventually include a Sprouts grocery and 365 By Whole Foods.
But there are actually three new developments along this perimeter, and it’s anticipated that between this year (one project opened several months ago) and fall 2018, 1,545 apartments will come online. Apartments don’t generally draw many school-age children, but that could change if these apartments were assimilated into Decatur.
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