Atlanta Girls' School closure sparks community mobilization

ATLANTA - Parents and alumni at the Atlanta Girls' School are coming together to save it after the board announced the school will not re-open next year. 

Afiya Williams was a member of the first graduating class at the Atlanta Girls' School in 2004. She said she was shocked to hear the school was closing. 

"We led the charge when we were 14 years old, so now, we're back in that seat," Williams explained. 

Parents, students, and alumni all got word of the closure last Monday. According to the chair of the board of trustees, after making cost-cutting changes and increasing fundraising efforts, they determined there wasn't enough funding to keep the school going. 

"We were a little hurt because we just all found out at the same time there was no attempt at resources or supporting the school," Williams said. 

"We felt left out also of the experience of like having the chance to save the school," she added. 

Now parents and alumni are coming together to do what they can to keep the doors open. 

"There are some parents, alumni, former parents and alumni who are working on fundraising who are working on spreading the word who are working on tapping supporters from professional women's organizations, Atlanta leaders, graduates from women's colleges and girls' schools," Williams said. 

The private school currently serves about two hundred girls in grades 6-12. It's the only independent, nonsectarian school of its kind in the state. 

Williams' says she wouldn't have been able to get the education she received anywhere else. 

"You go off into the world with more clarity and confidence of who you are, you are not in competition with boys in the classroom and, though we love boys, we know statistics show that they get most of the teacher's attention," she explained. 

"We love this school. We are excited that this might be a turning point for a new phase of the school," she added. 

If you'd like to help parents and alumni have set up an Instagram account to connect. You can also reach out to them at saveatlantagirlsschool@gmail.com.