DeKalb County Schools Consider Closures, Repurposing Amid Enrollment Decline

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School District is weighing the possibility of closing or repurposing several schools as district leaders confront declining enrollment and underused buildings.

Superintendent officials said enrollment across the district has steadily dropped in recent years, leaving some campuses operating well below capacity. Maintaining aging facilities with fewer students has placed additional strain on the district’s budget, leaders said.

District officials emphasized that no final decisions have been made. Instead, the process is in its early stages and will include community input before recommendations are presented to the DeKalb County Board of Education.

Leaders said options under consideration include consolidating schools, repurposing buildings for alternative programs or administrative use, or potentially closing campuses altogether.

School officials said they plan to hold public meetings and gather feedback from families, staff and community members before moving forward. Any proposal would require board approval.

District leaders said the goal is to better align resources with student needs while ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

A timeline for potential decisions has not yet been announced.

Here’s the list of schools included in the DeKalb County School District’s proposal to close or repurpose campuses as part of its long-range plan to address declining enrollment (this is from the plan referenced in the article you shared):

High School/Secondary Reconfigurations

• Cedar Grove High School (would be repurposed as a middle school)

• Lithonia High School (would be repurposed as a middle school)

• Towers High School (would be repurposed as a middle school)

Middle School Changes

These would be converted into elementary schools:

• Champion Theme Middle School

• McNair Middle School

• Bethune Middle School

• Miller Grove Middle School

• Lithonia Middle School

Additionally:

• Cedar Grove Middle School is proposed to be closed entirely due to low enrollment.

Elementary Schools Slated for Potential Closure

The district’s plan lists 26 elementary schools under consideration for closure:

1. Ashford Park

2. Bob Mathis

3. Brockett

4. Browns Mill

5. Canby Lane

6. Cedar Grove

7. Columbia

8. Evansdale

9. Flat Shoals

10. Henderson Mill

11. Kelley Lake

12. Kingsley

13. McLendon

14. McNair

15. Midvale

16. Oak Grove

17. Redan

18. Robert Shaw Theme

19. Rock Chapel

20. Rowland

21. Stone Mill

22. Stone Mountain

23. Stoneview

24. Toney

25. Vanderlyn

26. Woodridge

📍 What this means: None of these changes are finalized. The plan is a “conversation starter” intended to gather community feedback before any decisions are made and before the board votes on a final plan later this year.