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DeKalb schools split assignment plan into two phases

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Published  May 5, 2026 10:43am EDT
DeKalb County School District
FOX 5 Atlanta

The Brief

    • The DeKalb County School District is overhauling its student assignment project, opting to address school overcrowding issues before moving to under-enrollment.
    • Officials adjusted the strategy after community members criticized the initial process for feeling "too top-down" and "predetermined."
    • Major construction projects for the Sequoyah and Cross Keys clusters are on the horizon, with final recommendations not expected until late 2026.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - The DeKalb County School District announced it will now address its school assignment plan in two phases: tackling overcrowding first, followed by under-enrollment second.

What we know:

The district made the decision to pivot after assessing feedback from community members. Officials said they were told the process felt "too top-down," with scenarios that appeared "predetermined" and "separated" communities in ways that did not reflect how residents actually experience their schools. 

Timeline:

The district noted that this feedback has helped the timeline for the project "evolve."

This summer, the district will review community input and analyze enrollment data to develop a detailed engagement plan. The goal is to ensure the community participates in "informed, focused, and productive" conversations.

The district will begin addressing overcrowding this fall by opening conversations on several school plans for the 2027-2029 school years. Those projects include:

  • Expansion of Idlewood Elementary School
  • Construction of a new Dresden Elementary School
  • Renovation and expansion of Cross Keys High School
  • Construction of a new Sequoyah Middle School
  • Construction of a new Sequoyah High School, creating a new high school cluster

The district said the creation of a new cluster may affect the Chamblee, Cross Keys, Dunwoody, Druid Hills, Lakeside, and Tucker clusters. Community conversations are set to launch in August before any decisions become permanent, with a final plan expected to reach the board in December.

In Spring 2027, the focus will shift to addressing under-enrollment in the Towers, Columbia, McNair, Cedar Grove, Martin Luther King Jr., and Miller Grove clusters.

What they're saying:

"No recommendations will be presented to the Board of Education until our communities have had a meaningful opportunity to help shape them," the district said in a statement. 

Additional details on how to participate will be shared before the start of the school year.

The Source: Information in this article came from the DeKalb County School District via an update on its website.

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