DeKalb school zone changes: How will the district ease overcrowding?
DeKalb County unveils school zone map
DeKalb County Public Schools presented a draft redistricting map to address severe facility overcrowding and under-enrollment, drawing sharp pushback from parents during a feedback forum in Tucker.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - The DeKalb County School District presented new school zone map options Tuesday evening at Tucker High School to address severe campus overcrowding and underenrollment.
DeKalb redistricting maps
What we know:
DeKalb County Schools is preparing to open or expand multiple facilities between 2027 and 2029, forcing officials to adjust student boundaries this fall. Built in 2011, Tucker High School currently uses trailers and portable classrooms to handle a surge of students in the north DeKalb County cluster.
The district released three redistricting options to ease overcrowding in the Tucker, Druid Hills and Lakeside school clusters. Attendees at the forum strongly opposed Option 3, which would balance Tucker cluster schools and eliminate portable classrooms at Livesey, but split Cary Reynolds Elementary students among Pleasantdale, Hightower and Doraville United, while moving a small number of single-family homes from Evansdale to Livesey.
CLICK HERE TO REVIEW THE REDISTRICTING OPTION
School boundary plans
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet determined which option will be selected or whether Option 3 will be removed from consideration following initial public pushback. It remains unclear how many total students will ultimately be reassigned when the final boundaries take effect.
Parent community feedback
What they're saying:
Parents expressed strong opinions about keeping neighborhoods intact and prioritizing transportation. "Keep neighborhoods together," one parent said. Another attendee added, "Let's consider proximity and transportation."
"Changing a child's community after their path has already begun, especially on middle school and high school, should not be our kid's story," another parent stated. Multiple attendees called for Option 3 to be dropped, with one stating it "should quickly be removed from contention," while another remarked, "When I read this, I thought we were being punked."
Interim Superintendent Norman Sauce III, Ph.D., emphasized that student experiences are central to the planning. "Their experiences matter. When you have pervasive overcrowding, pervasive under enrollment, disparities in programs, all of the interrupts the student experience," Sauce said.
Public engagement sessions
What's next:
The school district plans to hold additional forums and focus groups to gather feedback before finalizing a redistricting map. Cross Keys High School will host the next community feedback session on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Kevyn Stewart, who attended the feedback forum at Tucker High School, as well as Interim Superintendent Norman Sauce III, Ph.D.