Schools

Superintendent to reveal redistricting recommendations tonight

Ramona Tyson to present to the county school board her plans for moving the school system forward.

 DeKalb County School System Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson will reveal tonight her highly anticipated recommendations on a controversial redistricting plan that could upset thousands of students and close more than a dozen schools.

The recommendations, which come after a half dozen public input meetings across the county, could include either in whole or in part a centralized or decentralized plan or a third option based on input from county stakeholders, or a combination of all three. 

The DeKalb County School District released a report last week that indicated that it would save up to $16 million dollars annually in salary, benefits and utility fees under the proposal if the district moved forward with the school closures. Schools under consideration for closure are Livsey, Medlock, Rock Chapel, Bob Mathis, Atherton, Glen Haven, Gresham Park, Sky Haven, Toney, Peachcrest, Wadsworth and Kittredge elementary schools. The proposal also calls for the closure of Avondale Middle and Avondale High schools.

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The report illustrates a breakdown of more than a dozen positions from principal to secretaries to janitorial staff, including benefits, electricity and gas costs. The school system spends more than $600,000 per year on utilities alone.  For example, Avondale High School - the most expensive school operationally - spends more than $86,000 for the principal’s salary, more than $60,000 for music and electricity costs more than $90,000 annually, according to the report.

“We estimate the centralized plan to save the DeKalb County School District approximately $150 million in operating costs over the next ten years; the decentralized option is estimated to realize gains of approximately $161 million over that same time period. Additionally, we can expect an extra $5 million in capital entitlement earnings over the 10-year period from the centralized plan (and slightly less in the decentralized plan),” read the financial analysis cost savings document.

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On Jan. 3, Indiana-based consulting firm MGT of America, unveiled to the Board of Education a comprehensive plan to consolidate the system to help drastically reduce 11,000 empty seats - an ambitious move that could result in 14 school closures next year, the disruption thousands of students and the reorganization of high achiever magnet programs and specialized curricula.

Following were several public input workshops culminating with tonight's recommendation.  On March 1 and March 3, there will be formal public hearings, and a board meeting on March 7 for a final vote on the approval of redistricting recommendations.

Tonight's meeting will begin at  6 p.m. and will be held in the J. David Williamson Board Room at the DCSS Administrative & Instructional Complex located at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in Stone Mountain.


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