New school to house growing Decatur student population

Decatur fourth- and fifth-graders will start their school year in a new building Tuesday.

The 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue, under construction all summer, will open as planned, the school system says. The new building comes just in time: the student population is booming, with a 9 percent increase this fall, according to Superintendent Phyllis Edwards.

The tiny school system hired 75 staffers, Edwards says, with around 300 applicants per job.