WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS BELOW
Decatur superintendent favors $9M restructuring plan
by Jonathan Cribbs
jonathan@dekalbchamp.com
 Decatur schools Superintendent Phyllis Edwards has recommended to the school board a restructuring plan that could cost taxpayers more than $9 million.
A majority of educators and parents who spoke at public hearings the district held favored the option, which would reopen the shuttered Fifth Avenue School and keep intact popular educational programs, including International Baccalaureate and Expeditionary Learning. But Glennwood Academy would switch from a 4-5 academy to a K-3 academy.
Edwards said she had been favoring Option 9, which would have created a new academy for fourth and fifth graders at Renfroe Middle School while keeping students in grades six through eight there as well. But after parents wary of their fourth and fifth graders mingling with older middle school students complained, Edwards said she reconsidered.
“While we always try to do what’s best, it’s important to have the public conversation so you can hear what people are thinking,” she said.
Edwards’ recommended option – Option 13 – will renovate the district’s Fifth Avenue School, which was closed several years ago during the last reorganization, and open a fourth- and fifth-grade academy inside it. “That building has been sitting there without any activity,” she said. “Now is the time, I think, to get a nice building on that site. I think that site could support a fourth- and fifth-grade academy.”
The district marched through months of planning with a reorganization committee that eventually created pro-and-con lists for all of its 13 proposed options and presented them at several public meetings. The committee also ultimately supported Option 13.
That option also had the most positives. Among them:
• The proposal allows for future growth, including potential city annexation, without dramatic change.
• The district will not need to relocate district staff. (Some proposals included a new central office.)
• The option takes advantage of existing district resources rather than paying for a new building.
• The reconfiguration can be completed with minimal disruption to students and staff.
The biggest drawback?
Its price tag. The project is estimated at about $9.2 million, and it would increase yearly operation costs by about $1.2 million, according to district data. To pay for the improvements, the district will need to work with the city government, Edwards said. Cost will also likely be a major board consideration.
The cheapest plan is Option 5, which is estimated to cost about $1.6 million in construction. The plan would make Clairemont, Oakhurst, Winnona Park elementary schools, Glennwood Academy and the school district central office K-4 elementary schools. Renfroe Middle would serve grades 5-8, and Decatur High School would continue to serve 9-12.
But district officials found certain elements problematic. Due to programmatic rules, Glennwood would lose its International Baccalaureate status in the transition, which many parents and teachers value. Fifth-graders would also have to learn in the same building as middle schoolers – a concern for many parents and teachers. Plus, it doesn’t take advantage of the district’s Fifth Avenue building, among other issues.
The reconfiguration represents a shift in planning since the fast-growing school district reorganized in 2004. The district closed three schools, including Fifth Avenue. Since then, the district has grown by roughly 300 students to about 2,800 and is expected to continue growing steadily. Families have also been lured to the district’s progressive educational programs, including International Baccalaureate and its state status as a “charter” district, giving it wider latitude to cater instruction to its particular students.
The school board must consider Edwards’ proposal next. The board could have considered it as early as May 12, which was after press time. “This was a long process. We started to look at this, really, at the middle of last year,” Edwards said. “I’m thankful to the community members and parents and administrators that put their time into this.”
|
