By Alicia DeCrisco, BaMO Academy PTA Vice President
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is developing APS Forward 2040, a long-term plan that could close, merge, or repurpose up to a dozen schools across the city. District leaders say APS currently has about 20,000 empty seats, and that restructuring would allow the district to staff schools more effectively, expand student programs, and qualify for more state funding.
Local Schools in the Conversation
The draft scenarios under consideration in the Maynard Jackson Cluster include:
- Barack and Michelle Obama Academy (BaMO) – Possible closure and repurposing
- Dunbar Elementary – Possible closure and repurposing
- Benteen Elementary – Expected to remain open, but may see boundary changes
- Parkside Elementary – Expected to remain open, but may see boundary changes
- King Middle School – Potential addition of up to 200 seats
- Maynard Jackson High School – Potential addition of 400 to 750 seats
APS has stated that cluster boundaries will remain in place unless all other options are exhausted and that unused school buildings will be repurposed or returned to serve community needs.
“The BaMO PTA does not advocate for the closure of any school, and we are deeply disturbed that in the Jackson Cluster the two most vulnerable schools were chosen as the only two options. That said we are proud of the significant academic and programmatic gains that our school has made and welcome any students that APS sends our way.” said Alicia DeCrisco, BaMO Academy PTA Vice President.
Key Dates and Next Steps
- October 20 – Public Meetings with APS Facilities
- Virtual Meeting:
- Time: 12:00pm-1:30pmLocation: Zoom. Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/fIL2REqgQM6tgdATMqp78g
- In-Person Meeting:
- Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
- Location: Center for Learning and Leadership, 130 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30303
- Virtual Meeting:
- November 5 – Board of Education’s First Read Through of the Facilities Plan Recommendations
- Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
- Location: Center for Learning and Leadership, 130 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30303
- November 10 – Second Round of Public Meetings with APS Facilities
- Virtual Meeting:
- Time: 12:00pm-1:30pmLocation: Zoom. Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/Ip9vbjqTT6KEYXtVgqrz6A
- In-Person Meeting:
- Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
- Location: Center for Learning and Leadership, 130 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30303
- Virtual Meeting:
- December 3 – Board of Education to Vote on Adoption of the Facilities Plan
- Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
- Location: Center for Learning and Leadership, 130 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30303
A few Individual District community meetings with board member representative are also available to attend over the coming weeks. These can be found on the Atlanta Board of Education website calendar at www.atlantapublicschools.us/Page/17673.
How to Stay Informed
A community member working with the BaMO PTA put together a website to help organize information and key meeting dates at www.ourapsfuture.com.
More information, background documents, and future updates will also be available on the APS Forward 2040 website at www.atlantapublicschools.us/APS2040.
