DeKalb schools review feedback on proposal to close 27 schools amid declining enrollment

DeKalb County School District leaders reviewed early feedback on the first stage of the district’s Student Assignment Project during a March 9 meeting. The proposal could result in closing 27 schools while others may be expanded, repurposed, or consolidated.

Survey responses and comments from community meetings show many residents are unhappy with the proposal, the planning process, and the lack of detailed financial projections explaining potential cost savings.

District officials say the plan responds to falling enrollment, aging facilities, and underused campuses. The district now serves about 90,000 students, roughly 20,000 fewer than when enrollment was at its peak. Officials cite declining birth rates, housing costs, and school alternatives such as private education and homeschooling.

The proposal outlines a six- to eight-year effort to adjust attendance boundaries, combine campuses, and improve operational efficiency.

Several well-regarded schools appear on the possible closure list, prompting pushback from families and educators. Ashford Park Elementary in Brookhaven, Vanderlyn and Kingsley elementary schools in Dunwoody, and Brockett Elementary in Tucker are among those being considered.

U.S. News & World Report ranks Vanderlyn as the 39th best elementary school in Georgia and fourth in DeKalb County. Ashford Park ranks seventh in the county. Kingsley and Brockett have also posted strong test scores despite serving large numbers of economically disadvantaged students.

With the exception of Ashford Park, which enrolls more than 750 students, the schools listed for closure operate well below capacity, with roughly 400 students in buildings designed for more than 600.

District leaders summarized feedback from about 5,000 survey responses, public meetings, and discussions among roughly 150 members of the Student Assignment Project committee.

Surita Smith, the district’s executive director of student assignment, said some members worry longstanding inequities between northern and southern parts of the county could persist. She also noted most public feedback has come from residents in northern clusters, particularly Dunwoody and Chamblee.

Transportation concerns, traffic impacts, and questions about equity surfaced repeatedly during the process. Residents also asked for clearer estimates of savings tied to closures, plans for empty buildings, and details about how staff and specialized programs could be affected.

Opinions were split on the six- to eight-year timeline and whether smaller or larger schools better serve students.

The next phase of the process includes community meetings scheduled for the week of March 23, both in person and online.