By Paul Bolster
Benteen Elementary School
Dr. Andrew Lovett is still excited about being the Benteen Principal after nine years. He has seen a lot of change. The community lost a large number of low-income apartments over the last few years and that lowered enrollment. There are a lot of charter schools in the area but enrollment has been rising recently. The programs and the facilities are attracting new students. While test scores are below state averages they are moving in the right direction. Last year its scores earned the school a designation as a Title I Reward School for being among the greatest improving 5% of Title I Schools. “We are making progress.” says Lovett “but we still have work to do.”
Benteen serves many low-income families. All the students receive free lunch because of a special federal program. Enrollment at the school is changing. This reflects both the changes in community demographics and the draw of the programs offered. Since Dr. Lovett came to the school the racial mix has changed. Black enrollment has gone down from 60% to 45%, Hispanic enrollment has held steady at 30%, while enrollment of white and mixed-race students has increased to 26%.
Students come from across the region for the dual language immersion program. Starting from pre-K students receive instruction for half a day in Spanish and half of the school day in English. The Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program has two teachers and two classrooms. While the DLI program is a draw, the school also offers a strong traditional classroom experience for families who do not choose the DLI Program.
Benteen was the second elementary school in the Jackson cluster to receive authorization for the International Baccalaureate Program, and the first to receive initial authorization during the pandemic. Here students are encouraged to “see beyond where they are and have a global view that will shape their future.”
For the 2022-2023 school year, the program was moved to a different location to make a complete renovation possible. The $10 million renovation updated all the systems and put new surfaces in place. The entire building was fully renovated and a new security vestibule was added. APS also has an agreement with Atlanta Parks and Recreation for the use of Benteen Park for athletic activities. Lovett is very pleased with the efforts neighbors have put into improving the park and putting on the fall festival that started under South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development (SAND) leadership.
Dr. Lovett is proud of his teachers. Most have more than three years experience and one fourth are bi-lingual. The student to teacher ration at one teacher per 15 students is one of the lowest in Atlanta Public Schools (APS).
Support for the school comes from a number of places. Its foundation raises funds for things APS does not provide. Last year it made sure all students could afford to go on field trips regardless of their family’s ability to pay. The Trust for Public Lands has worked with the school to design and implement a community garden in the public park behind the school. Takeda, a Japanese pharmaceutics company, sponsored an outdoor learning garden/learning space through Out Teach. Books for Keeps works with the school to let students select 12 to 13 books to take home for the summer and keep if they choose.
Dr. Lovett says he is “committed to this place.” His goal for the year is to get out to community meetings and “tell the story.”
