‘Where Are Our Children Going To Go?'

By Megan Matteucci
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
DeKalb County News
March 16, 2010

Like fans rallying for their football team, parents wore school colors, carried signs and shouted while waving pom-poms.

But instead of cheering for their home team, parents spent Tuesday night at a citizens’ meeting rallying for survival of their home schools across DeKalb County.

Each parent brought their own argument why their local elementary school stands out and should not be closed.

“I treat the school like it’s my house,” said Tiffany Holloway, president of the Sky Haven Elementary School PTA. “I’m not going to let a mortgage company come in and take my house.”

The 20-member Citizens’ Planning Task Force is charged with reviewing data and recommending at least four elementary schools to close at the end of the school year. School officials have proposed two scenarios for the closings, involving seven schools – all in south DeKalb.

Meadowview first grade teacher Teresa Favors said she was disappointed that the schools are being chosen for closure based on location, enrollment and money – and not student achievement.

“The south is learning just like the north end of the county,” she said. “If you close this many schools in the south end of the county, where are our children going to go?”

School officials say the closures are necessary to help with an anticipated $88-million deficit. The four school closures are expected to save about $2.3 million.

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© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution