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Dekalb County Education Coverage

DeKalb County Schools use 2011 budget as template for 2012

DeKalb County Schools officials said they are going to use this year’s current budget as a template for fiscal year 2012 and plan on restoring several things that were cut out of the fiscal year 2011 budget. “It’s a progressive budget not a reg...

Parents file injunction to stop school closures

Several DeKalb parents have filed an injunction in efforts to try to stop the DeKalb County School System from closing eight schools, most of which are in South DeKalb. The injunction was filed by Latasha Walker, Kim Ault, Kendall London and Anette D...

Chamblee High student buzzes in on Jeopardy

Chamblee High’s Kailyn LaPorte stands with host Alex Trebek on the set of Jeopardy, where she managed to walk away with $42,600 in winnings. Photo provided
“I’ll take Exceptional Teens for 200, Alex.” “The answer is: 15-year-old Chamblee High School sophomore who made it to the final round of Teen Jeopardy and won $42,600.” “Who is Kailyn LaPorte?”  Well, that didn’t actually happen on ...

DeKalb County School Board passes redistricting plan; eight schools will close

DeKalb County School Board Chairman Thomas Bowen answers questions about the adoption of Interim Superintendent Tyson’s plan. Photo by Daniel Beauregard
The DeKalb County School Board voted on March 7 to adopt a controversial redistricting plan that will close eight schools and save an estimated $12 million annually. The plan, originally presented to the board by Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson o...

Tiff leads Sen. Jones to file ethics complaint against school board member

Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) has accused DeKalb County School Board Vice-Chairman Paul Womack of verbally attacking him and said he is in the process of filing an ethics complaint. Jones said the incident took place at a Chamber of Commerce banquet...

Avondale community makes last ditch effort to save schools

William Mosely steps up to the microphone to voice his concerns about the proposed closings. Photo by Daniel Beauregard
People lined up in a hot, stuffy cafeteria on Friday, Feb. 25, but no food was being served. Instead, community members waited for a turn at the microphone to voice their opinions and express concerns about the proposed closing of Avondale High Schoo...

Tyson: No school budget shortfall for 2011-12

A year of belt-tightening and conservative spending has pulled the DeKalb County School System out of a deficit, interim superintendent Ramona Tyson said last week at the superintendent’s annual address. There will be no shortfall in the 2011-12 bu...

International recognition: Art imitates life for Georgia Perimeter College student

Georgia Perimeter College fine arts student Cedric Brown earned international recognition after one of his paintings was chosen to be part of the permanent exhibit at The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo provided
Hanging in The Russian Museum is an inspiring painting that Georgia Perimeter College student Cedric Brown said mirrors his life, hopes and accomplishments. In November, Brown’s painting, “As The Twig Bends, So The Tree Inclines,” became a perm...

Signing day: Columbia has its best class; Tucker, Stephenson lead pack

Ramon Ward’s message is similar to that of other assistant football coaches around DeKalb County—hard work on the football field and in the classroom could result in a free college education. More than 100 football players across the county heede...

DeKalb Schools boss recommends eight closures

by Maggie Lee   DeKalb County School System Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson presented her plan for school closures and redistricting to a crowd of more than 200 at a county board of education in Stone Mountain on Monday night. She wants to close...

Livsey Elementary supporters protest to save school

Nearly 20 parents of students at Livsey Elementary School picketed last week outside the DeKalb County Schools offices in protest of Livsey being one of 14 schools slated to be closed under a consolidation proposal being considered by the school board. Photos by Robert Naddra
Michele Yulo envisioned herself living in the Livsey Elementary School district for decades when she and her family moved there two years ago. Two years from now there may not be a Livsey school district. Yulo was one of nearly 20 concerned parents o...

SACS offers advice to school system

Officials from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools met with DeKalb County Schools officials earlier this week to offer input and recommendations regarding numerous issues facing the system, according to a SACS official. “DeKalb had con...

Financial problems plague school board member

Jesse Cunningham
While the DeKalb County Board of Education wrestles with school closings and a billion-dollar budget, one board member has been having difficulty taking care of his own business. According to court records, board member Jesse “Jay” Cunningham has...

Walker: Do not close higher achieving schools

Eugene Walker knows closing schools is inevitable, but the DeKalb County School Board member is spreading the message that high-achieving schools are to be saved. The board heard a proposal earlier this month that called for the closing of 14 schools...

Proposal calls for 14 county schools to close

Fourteen schools could close and the system would undergo massive redistricting under a proposal unveiled Jan. 3 at the DeKalb County School Board meeting. Elementary schools listed in the proposal are Livsey, Medlock, Rock Chapel, Bob Mathis, Athert...

Year in Review: 2010 Top DeKalb news stories

Eddie Long
New Birth pastor faces sexual coercion allegations   Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia in early November denied allegations that he coerced former members of the church into sexual relationships. Anthony Flagg, Jam...

Amendment changes toughen DeKalb school policies

  DeKalb County School System whistleblowers have a new mechanism to report violations. Teachers can be terminated if bullying is not properly reported and in the event of more lay-offs an employee’s performance will trump seniority.    “We’...

Mohammed Elementary celebrates 30 years

  The age and authenticity of the Clara Mohammed Elementary School instantly shows on the building’s retro triangular façade. Other details about the school show its longevity, too. Things such as the circa 1980s cafeteria booths and tightly pack...

Lakeside High’s multi-million dollar overhaul begins

Lakeside High School is ready to see major changes as the first stage of a $24 million renovation project begins. At the groundbreaking ceremony for the site, DeKalb County School System officials, faculty and students gathered Dec. 1 to celebrate th...

Newly elected school board members set sights on fiscal responsibility

Newly elected Donna Edler (right) and Nancy Jester (left) talk as they prepare to begin their first term on the DeKalb County School Board. Photo by P. Witcher
No one knows how newly elected DeKalb County School Board members Donna Edler and Nancy Jester will change group dynamics, but what is clear is that they share a desire to improve fiscal responsibility of the sysytem. After taking more than 70 percen...

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