DeKalb County unveils new school redistricting plan
DeKalb County unveils third redistricting map
The DeKalb County School District unveiled a revised redistricting plan to ease severe classroom overcrowding in northern campuses like Brookhaven's Ashford Park Elementary School before proposed attendance shifts take effect in fall 2027.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County education leaders released a revised student redistricting plan featuring multiple options to ease severe campus overcrowding across northern neighborhoods.
Northside school redistricting
What we know:
DeKalb County School District unveiled its third proposal aimed at redrawing school attendance zones across the northern part of the county. The revised approach comes after district officials paused earlier plans that proposed closing more than two dozen schools following heavy pushback from parents.
Severe overcrowding remains concentrated in northern campuses, including Ashford Park Elementary School in Brookhaven. That campus is operating at 178% over capacity, forcing the school to rely on classroom trailers to manage student volume.
If adopted by the school board, elementary and middle school boundary changes would take effect in the fall of 2027.High school adjustments would take effect no earlier than 2029. Under the proposal, rising students entering the 5th ,8th, 11th and 12th grades would be permitted to apply to stay at their existing schools if rezoned.
Cross Keys middle school options
The backstory:
The district's proposal focuses heavily on creating middle school capacity for the growing Cross Keys High School cluster, which currently lacks its own middle school. Planners placed four separate options on the table.
One option maintains no dedicated middle school for the cluster. The remaining three options propose converting an existing elementary school into a middle school facility.
"There's 3 different elementary schools we could use as middle schools," said Jennifer Caracciolo, deputy chief communications officer for DeKalb County Schools. The three sites under consideration include Woodward, Dresden and John Lewis elementary schools. Converting Woodward Elementary would also require shifting the high achiever's magnet program from Chamblee Middle School to Henderson Middle School and from Chamblee High School to Cross Keys High School.
Community feedback and timeline
What we don't know:
School board members have not announced when they will cast a final vote to select a preferred redistricting option.
District administrators have not released final cost projections or funding sources for the potential facility conversions at the three elementary campuses.
Parent engagement forums
What you can do:
District administrators launched the third phase of community engagement, including an online survey and follow-up virtual focus groups for families seeking additional information.
Parents and guardians can also attend in-person public feedback forums to discuss the redistricting plans with school leaders: Druid Hills Middle School at 6 p.m. next Wednesday and Dunwoody High School at 6 p.m. next Thursday.
A fourth and last round of community engagement sessions using the latest feedback is slated for December. At that point, a final plan will be submitted to the school board for a vote. Then the district will tackle redistricting for underutilized schools.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official planning documents and public presentation materials provided by the DeKalb County School District, as well as statements from Deputy Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Caracciolo.