Chamblee Middle Among Local Schools With New Wireless Internet

The DeKalb County School District has plans to outfit the entire system by winter.

The DeKalb County School District has undertaken a fast-paced technology plan to make 123 schools and centers wireless by the winter. With a total price tag of $4.5 million, the project is funded through the Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax. Currently, 14 schools and centers are completed with an average of one access point per two classrooms. The completed schools are Cedar Grove High, Chamblee Middle, Clarkston High, Coralwood Center, International Student Center, Kittredge Magnet School, Lithonia High, Lithonia Middle, Margaret Harris Comprehensive School, Miller Grove High, Peachtree Middle, Redan Middle, Tucker Middle and Warren Technical School. The cost for the 14 is nearly half a million dollars. “We are pleased with the …

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DeKalb Schools: 'There Is No Plan'

School Board member Marshall Orson spoke in front of a tough crowd Tuesday night.

DeKalb School Board Member Marshall Orson (District 2) held a nearly three-hour Town Hall Meeting in the Emory community off North Decatur Road Tuesday night, updating a packed room of parents and neighbors on the events that have taken place almost daily since the state BOE gave DeKalb a 30-day window to prove their commitment to an improvement plan.   The state BOE is scheduled to reconvene Thursday at 8 a.m. to finish the hearing started in January that was required by a law intended to help school systems protect their valuable accreditation.  But, the law has had its own share of controversy when, in 2010, then-Governor Sonny Perdue removed Warren County's school board, but the state Supreme Court overturned that decision. The law was…

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Cheryl Miller

7:01 am on Sunday, February 24, 2013

John Davis, great idea for a new structure. We would also like to see the School Choice program altered so that every parent must choose 3 schools in priority order before the start of every school year on an application, presumably with student input. If you select your neighborhood school first, and live within say 3 miles of it, you would be automatically selected to attend it. Then, the other…   more ›

Brookhaven-Chamblee-Dunwoody School System?

A reader gave us this idea, and we want to know what you think.

There's an item floating around in social-media cyberspace that proposes the idea of a Brookhaven-Chamblee-Dunwoody school system. "Support the idea of a Brookhaven-Dunwoody-Chamblee school system so we can get out from under the black cloud of DCSS," is the item that's being re-tweeted to others who are concerned about the DeKalb County Board of Education. Last month, the board was placed on probation by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools. The district has until May 31, 2013 to make progress in complying with several issues that SACS identified. Shortly afterward, an online petition was started to build momentum for replacing the entire school board, which Gov. Nathan Deal has the authority to do. According to the Reporter …

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DeKalb Voters Say No to Cell Towers on School Property

The non-binding resolution – part of Tuesday's primary – will have no legal bearing on whether the school system places towers on school properties.

DeKalb County voters said Tuesday they don't want cell phone towers on public school properties. In a nonbinding resolution – part of Tuesday's primary election – more than 60 percent of residents voted no to the question: "Should the local or independent school system of DeKalb County or a charter school in DeKalb County place or operate a telecommunications tower on any elementary, middle or high school property?" Of 114,804 votes counted early Wednesday morning, "No" took 71,690 votes – all preliminary returns. More than 5,000 absentee ballots had yet to be counted. The resolution will have no legal bearing on whether the DeKalb County School System continues to pursue construction of cell phone towers on school property. The school …

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Knott Telling

11:15 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012

Thank you for your perspective, Mr. Trinkle. It appears you did take the time to go beyond the newspaper article and see for yourself what the FCC actually said. Very logical approach on your part. It seems likely that you are also aware of the principle of inverse squares as it relates to radiation, which is the reason that the strength of a tower signal, by the time it even reaches the base of …   more ›

DeKalb's School Budget Deficit: What Would You Do?

The DeKalb County School System is facing an $85-million deficit that's forced the school board to make some tough decisions.

The DeKalb School board is set to vote on a budget Wednesday, and that budget is going to cut deeply into district programs. The district is considering an array of cuts, like eliminating transportation to magnet programs, cutting a district supplement to pre-kindergarten programs, gutting funding for the popular Fernbank Science Center and eliminating extra teachers in magnet programs. Here are the big issues: Below is an explanation of some of the high-profile cuts the district is proposing. They aren't the biggest cuts, but they've received quite a bit of attention from county residents. Be sure and vote in our poll about how you would go about balancing the budget. And leave us some comments. Pre-kindergarten The district could save $2…

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QUESTION OF THE DAY

What Do You Think About Chamblee High School Construction Process?

Many parents are frustrated over delays.

Although Chamblee High School's Construction won't be affected by the $41 million shortfall reported recently by the DeKalb County School System, Chamblee High School's $68-million renovation project is overbudget by $10 million, and according to many parents, is taking far too long. Parents expressed frustation over dealys to school administrators at a recent meeting in which they were notified that final construction would not be completed until 2014. What are your thoughts about the project? Are you frustrated about Chamblee High School's Construction? Tell us in comments. Join or start the conversation on Brookhaven Patch's Facebook page.

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Daily 10

Daily PatchCast: Atkinson Promises Change, Sandy Springs Bank Robbery, Xerona Clayton Dedication

The day's top headlines for Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Atkinson To Focus On Students, Makes Changes Across System. Riverwood Audit Shows Several Areas Of Concern. Police Investigating Wednesday Morning Bank Robbery. Patch Profile: State Rep. Ed Lindsey Tucker Native Making An Impact At Stanford. Hundreds Celebrate Xerona Clayton Way.

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UPDATED: Survey: We Don't Want Atkinson To Lead DeKalb Schools

School board votes 6-3 to hire Atkinson

The DeKalb County Board of Education on Monday voted to hire Cheryl Atkinson as schools superintendent. Atkinson, who currently is superintendent of the Lorain City Schools in Ohio, is a 30-year education veteran and had been in the running for the top spot with Atlanta Public Schools. She starts new job Sept. 15. But the majority of parents in a survey conducted by Parents For DeKalb Schools don't want her. The results:

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DeKalb School Board Passes $475M SPLOST Resolution

DeKalb County voters will be able to vote on the proposal in November.

8:45: Discussion about the SPLOST IV proposal begins. Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson is asking the board to approve the $475 million list. 8:47: Discussion of Henderson Mill and Hawthorne elementary being combined. That's not possible, Tyson said. She reviewed a series of changes to the initial proposal from several weeks ago. All documents can be found on the school system's website here. 8:49: Referndum would be in November 2011. A 1 cent sales tax, a school district official said. Resolution with City of Decatur Schools and Atlanta Public Schools. Will continue SPLOST for additional five years. 8:51: Board member Nancy Jester asks for ammendment. Wants language changed referencing a future Dunwoody elementary school. Board …

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Patch Asked, You Answered

T-Mobile Cell Towers at DeKalb County Schools: Problem or Benefit?

Are cell towers on school property a good way to raise revenue and improve communication for DeKalb schools?

The DeKalb County School System has been hurting for funding, and a possible deal with T-Mobile promises to bring in several million much-needed dollars. However, the parents of DeKalb students have raised serious concerns including safety, property values, use of space, and transparency. The DeKalb County School Board has held several community meetings at area schools to allow residents to weigh in on the option. This weeks's Patch Asks offers a valuable insight into their opinions, and you'll find that most locals are receptive to the idea of added funding to increase the quality of education available from DeKalb County schools. Check it out!

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