DeKalb Consultant Recommends A Dozen Schools For Closure

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- A consultant has recommended the DeKalb County Board of Education close down more than a dozen schools as part of a plan to streamline the district.

The list includes Medlock, Livsey, Rock Chapel, Bob Mathis, Wadsworth, Kittredge, Sky Haven, Glen Haven, Gresham Park, Toney, Peachcrest and Atherton elementary schools. It also includes Avondale Middle School and recommends tuing Avondale High School into a centralized magnet school.

MGT Consultants of America also recommended redrawing attendance lines at currently overcrowded schools to move students to less crowded alteatives.

DeKalb School officials said Monday night the district currently has more than 11,000 empty seats county-wide, which is wasting money and costing the district substantial state funding.

Parent Laxavier Reddick-Hood told GA Daily News reporter Mike Petchenik she’s not happy about the plan to close her son’s school.

”They really need to consider the students, Reddick-Hood said. ”These plans do not take into account the best interest of the students.

Reddick-Hood said she believed the recommendation is penalizing high-achieving students such as her son. ”I am very disappointed, she said.

Consultant Ed Humble told the school board his recommendations were just that, and a jumping off point for discussion.

”I know this is aggressive, Humble said. ”I know it involves a lot of students and a lot of parents. We need to put this out and talk about it with people and talk about what’s the goals here.

Some board members expressed conce about the equity of the plan. Dr. Eugene Walker said he hoped to minimize the disruption to students and teachers.

”My people have some very strong sentiments about schools, Walker said. ”I’m gonna make sure those sentiments are heard.

Consultants will now hold several public meetings to discuss the proposals. On Jan. 31, Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson will make her recommendations. The board is scheduled to take a vote on Tyson’s recommendations Feb. 28.