This week Decatur’s school board approved dividing its elementary grades into five K-2 buildings and two 3-5. One couldn’t help noticing a seismic difference between this week’s announcement and a similar one in 2004, when the board broke up the longstanding K-5 structure into the current K-3 and 4-5 model.
This week’s decision, made two hours deep into the meeting before an audience of 14, brought mostly yawns. Over a decade ago, however, a hue and cry thundered throughout the city and a typical declaration was: “I’m oughtta here.”
Though some left and others sent their children to private schools, a whole lot more flooded the city’s classrooms, and the K-12 enrollment has more than doubled since 2004. Given the ultimate success of the K-3/4-5 model some may ask why reconfigure now during a period of complex enrollment growth (7 to 12 percent per year since 2009) and construction (at the high school, the middle school and later this year on Talley Street). Reconfiguration brings along its evil twin, rezoning, or in this case zoning for the two 3-5 schools. Both of those buildings will be located south of the railroad tracks, which could prove unwieldy in Decatur’s ever-dieting road network.
Folks have moved to Decatur for the neighborhood-centric schools since at least the 1920s. This week’s vote lops off yet another grade from those buildings at Clairemont, Glennwood, Oakhurst, Winnona Park and Westchester (a half century ago they were all K-7).
In December the original facilities committee gave several reasons favoring reconfiguration: more collaboration between schools, an expansion of the International Baccalaureate program and more community involvement because of the extra year at 3-5.
Superintendent David Dude has said several time that he believes this “a more natural split. You have a balance where students spend three years at each elementary school. And there are natural curriculum changes where, for instance, in K-2 you learn to read, and starting in the third you read to learn.”
What do you think? Send comments to communitynews@ajc.com. Responses may be used online and/or in print.
AT ISSUE: SHOULD THE LGBTQ PRIDE RAINBOW SYMBOL BE RESTORED TO 10TH AND PIEDMONT?
An online petition by musician and LGBTQ advocate Sarah Rose urges Atlanta city officials to restore the rainbow crosswalks at 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue – removed after the 2015 Atlanta Pride weekend. The gesture would be one of affirmation, Rose says. But would it be appropriate?
Here’s what some readers had to say:
I am strongly in favor of having the crosswalks at 10th and Piedmont painted in rainbow colors on a permanent basis. Other cities have done this, and there have been no problems. As far as it being a "safety" issue, I think it makes the crosswalks far more visible to drivers who, in Atlanta, are quite prone to running right through crosswalks. Yes, money spent there could always be spent on other worthy causes. That always has and always will be the situation. In truth, we spend our money where our hearts are. — Bruce Garner
The LGBTQ community has every right to express themselves and assume their meaningful role in society, but crosswalks are placed there for public safety, not for advertising points of view. If you permit LGBTQ crosswalks, then you have to permit crosswalks for others who want to express themselves. The crosswalks belong to the public, and to pedestrians in particular – not to any one segment of society. — Gene Gray
Painted intersections were a bad idea in the first place and should not have been approved. The streets are public. If one group is allowed to do so, then any group who wants to paint an intersection should also be allowed. If allowed only for a festival, it should be removed afterwards, with a payment upfront from the group to pay for city workers who will remove it. — Edna Jennings
If they don't want to make it permanent, I suggest that for buildings, decorated flags on all corners; maybe paint the buildings, too. — Nanette Floyd
If a crosswalk is marked on behalf of one group, then all other groups may want one. For example, the intersection where the Peachtree Road Race starts should be marked because the race now draws 60,000 participants and an unknown number of spectators, all for the benefit of the economy and reputation of Atlanta. — Jack McFarland
David Ibata for the AJC
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