DeKalb County schools delay plan to close dozens of schools

Parent feedback halts DeKalb school changes

DeKalb County school officials have delayed plans to close or convert dozens of schools until the next school year following criticism from local parents.   

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County school leaders have hit the pause button on a controversial plan to close or convert dozens of schools following backlash from local families.

District halts school closures

What we know:

DeKalb County school officials have delayed the "student assignment project" after parents raised concerns about two separate proposals affecting more than 20 schools. The district says the project is necessary to balance overcrowding in some areas while filling empty seats in others where enrollment is low.

Interim Supt. Norman Sauce stated that the process felt "too top-down" for many families, leading the district to hire a third party to facilitate future discussions. Over the summer, the district will focus on six clusters—Chamblee, Cross Keys, Dunwoody, Druid Hills, Lakeside, and Tucker—where new schools are expected to open soon.

Questions from parents

What we don't know:

While parents like Sarah Rauers say the delay is a "small step in the right direction," they say many questions about data validity and the overall process remain unanswered. It is also unclear if the district will wait until a permanent superintendent is hired to make final decisions on school conversions.

Timeline for next steps

Timeline:

The student assignment team will spend the summer reviewing feedback and preparing a new engagement plan for the fall. The school board plans to make a final decision on new attendance boundaries in December. In the spring, officials will begin talking again about specific plans for schools with low attendance.

Feedback on leadership

What they're saying:

"This is a district that has been plagued by like 15 years of bad decisions," Rauers said. "I think many of us don't understand why we can't wait to make this decision, a decision of this magnitude, until we have a permanent superintendent."