Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Girls’ School closing at the end of the school year
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Parents at the Atlanta Girls’ School will have to start thinking about where their kids will go year after school leaders announced that they’re preparing to close.
School officials say they recently learned re-enrollment numbers for next year declined drastically and after carefully looking at financial data, the board determined there is no sustainable way to move forward financially.
It has been a big shocker for parents, who say they found out in a letter. The letter stated that the Head of School, Kimbrell Smith, and her AGS leadership team worked tirelessly to find other options to stay open. The team even implemented cost-cutting measures and intensified fundraising efforts in the face of severe economic challenges.
The school is set to close at the end of this academic year, which is May 24. School officials say families who have already paid a deposit or payments for the 2024-2025 school year will receive a refund in the coming days.
School leaders say they are committed to being a resource for helping families find options for next year. They are holding two town hall meetings for parents on Tuesday, March 19 at the school to address questions and concerns. One will begin at 8 a.m. and another at 5:30 p.m.
The following is the full letter sent to parents:
Dear AGS families,
The Atlanta Girls’ School’s Board of Trustees has made the very difficult decision to close our school at the end of this academic year. We learned last week that our re-enrollment numbers for next year have drastically declined, and after careful analysis of the financial data, the Board determined there is no sustainable financial path forward.
This decision is not one the Board wanted to make. We care deeply about the school, its mission, its dedicated professionals, and most of all the students and families that AGS serves. Many of our trustees are parents of current AGS students or alumnae. We know firsthand the positive impact AGS has had on the young women it has served.
Similarly, this decision is not one that the school’s leadership team wanted. Our dedicated Head of School, Kimbrell Smith, and her AGS leadership team worked tirelessly to explore various options to continue the operations of our school. With the Board’s support, the team implemented cost-cutting measures and intensified our fundraising efforts in the face of severe economic challenges faced by small, independent schools. Kimbrell and her team deserve our praise and thanks for their hard work to sustain the mission of our school.
AGS will continue operating until the end of this academic year, and our focus remains on our students and preparing them for their lives ahead. At the same time, the administration is fully committed to helping families find the right school for their students next year. For those families who have already provided a deposit for the 2024-25 school year or payments to next year’s tuition balance, you will receive a refund in the coming days. Kimbrell will be in close communication with admissions departments at other independent schools in the area, and she is committed to being a resource to our families about options for next year and beyond. Detailed information on that will follow.
Students are receiving a separate email today with information about the closure decision, and we encourage you to have a family conversation to process the news together. Knowing this information will be difficult for our students to absorb, the school will have a modified class schedule tomorrow, Tuesday, March 19. School will begin at the normal time, and the school will provide space and time for students to gather in their respective divisions with teachers and school administrators.
The Board of Trustees tried to anticipate some of the questions you may have, and we asked the team to prepare the attached FAQ document. We are holding a parent/guardian town hall meeting tomorrow at two different times in an effort to accommodate busy schedules:
- Option 1 – town hall meeting at AGS on Tuesday, March 19 at 8 a.m.
- Option 2 – town hall meeting at AGS on Tuesday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m.
On behalf of the full Board, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our entire AGS community for your dedication, passion, and support of this truly incredible school and community that we have built. In particular, I want to thank our school’s talented leadership team and our hardworking and dedicated faculty for their professionalism and all the efforts they have invested in our students for many years – and for the professionalism they will continue to show for the remainder of the academic year. While the time has come to bring a close to Atlanta Girls’ School in a physical sense, the spirit of our mission, “Inspiring Girls to Lead Lives of Purpose,” will remain. I am confident that all who have benefitted from this mission over the last nearly quarter of a century will ensure that it continues to resonate well into the future.
Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.
This extension reportedly replaces the franchise tag Pitts signed earlier this spring, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Per the report, Pitts will not play on the $15 million franchise tag and instead receive the $36 million fully guaranteed on the new deal over the next two seasons.
The No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts had a resurgent year in 2025 and showcased the playmaking abilities that made him such an enticing prospect. He caught a career-high 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns, his most as a pro. Atlanta placed the franchise tag on Pitts earlier this offseason, ensuring he remained a Falcon for the 2026 season.
“They trusted that they see something in (me), and that’s pretty cool to see,” Pitts said of the franchise tag during OTAs. “It’s a new year. It’s already signed, and it’s going to be a good year.”
With an extension reportedly in place, Pitts is part of the team’s future for years to come.
Pitts turns 26 next season and is entering his first year working with head coach Kevin Stefanski, who got strong production from the tight end position while coaching the Cleveland Browns. That was particularly true of David Njoku, who has some similarities to Pitts. However, Pitts gives Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees a weapon unlike any they’ve had.
The early reviews through OTAs and mandatory minicamp have been strong for Pitts. The new staff has praised Pitts’ buy-in with their program and the effort he’s shown both on and off the field.
“Kyle’s, again, a guy that is here working like crazy. Takes coaching,” Stefanski said during OTAs. “The physical skill set is obvious when Kyle’s on the field, with how big he is and how he moves. But I’ve been impressed with what we’re asking him to do, a couple new things for him. As your players continue on in their career, you want to find out more, what else is in there and what else can we do, and what can we help you with? So I think Kyle’s been outstanding in that regard of trying to continue to get better in so many areas.”
At his best, he offers the kind of matchup maneuverability that ignites an offensive coordinator’s imagination. That ability was most clearly on display in the Falcons’ thrilling 29-28 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 15 last season. As the focal point of Atlanta’s offense, Pitts caught 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
“I love the position because of the versatility that it provides an offense,” Stefanski said. “And you’ve seen it around the league. This is nothing new or Earth-shattering, but tight ends that can line up all over make life hard on a defense. Whether you can line them up outside, in the backfield, in line, you name it, we love versatility at that position.”
As a rookie, Pitts burst onto the scene and finished the 2021 season with the second-most yards ever by a rookie tight end. His second year was cut short by a knee injury, the impact of which carried throughout the 2023 season as well. With the injuries and changes at the quarterback position since his arrival, consistency has been a focus for Pitts.
Despite those factors, Pitts has gained the third-most receiving yards by a tight end since he entered the league. He has averaged 12.6 yards per reception, which ranks fourth among his position, and has caught 15 touchdowns. Notably, he has improved in that metric with each successive season.
This report comes soon after wide receiver Drake London signed a new extension with the organization, keeping one of the best young outside weapons in the NFL on the roster. With Pitts now reportedly in the fold with a new extension and Bijan Robinson entering his fourth year, the Falcons will continue to have a trio of dynamic playmakers on offense.
A second-team All-Pro in 2025, the arrow is pointing up for Pitts. He is currently 13th on that Falcons’ all-time receiving yards list and has the fourth-most career yards by an Atlanta tight end. With 650 yards next season, Pitts will climb to second on the career yardage list for Falcons tight ends. If he repeats what he did last year, Pitts will not only take over the top spot, surpassing the great Jim Mitchell, but he will climb to sixth on the Falcons’ all-time receiving list, regardless of position.
“I think Kyle is going to be a big piece of this thing,” Falcons passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand said of Pitts. “He had huge production last year. He’s clearly one of the top guys in the league at that spot. Hopefully, we see a lot more of what we saw last year out of him, and he can continue on that upward trend.”
Atlanta, GA
Summerhill residents oppose plan to move Atlanta Olympic cauldron, citing community history and legacy
A proposal to move Atlanta’s Olympic cauldron from Summerhill to Centennial Olympic Park is drawing opposition from residents and community leaders who say the landmark represents more than just the 1996 Olympic Games — it is also a symbol of the neighborhood’s history and identity.
Dozens gathered Monday evening in Summerhill to protest plans to relocate the top portion of the Olympic Flame Tower, known as the cauldron, from its current location near Center Parc Stadium. The effort comes after Georgia State University announced a partnership with Olympic leaders, including Billy Payne and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, to move the cauldron while leaving the tower and Olympic rings bridge in place.
In a written statement, Georgia State said the project would help preserve Atlanta’s Olympic legacy while maintaining a connection to the Summerhill community.
For Sheryl Calhoun, however, the debate is deeply personal.
“It’s something that my mom was a part of,” Calhoun said. “So by means of it being here, it keeps her living in here.”
Calhoun’s mother, Mattie Ansley Jackson, spent decades advocating for residents living around the former Olympic Stadium. According to her daughter, Jackson worked on issues ranging from housing and employment to broader neighborhood development efforts.
“She helped the community,” Calhoun said. “She played a big part with summer jobs, housing, unemployment, making sure the community was okay.”
Jackson also carried the Olympic torch during the 1996 Games and remained proud of the cauldron’s presence in the neighborhood, Calhoun said.
“My mom loved this torch,” she said.
Community leaders say their primary concern is not necessarily the relocation itself, but how the decision was made.
“Georgia State called some of the community stakeholders to have a conversation about it and basically just told us what was going to happen,” said Sharon Pitchford, executive director of the Summerhill Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Pitchford said many residents view the cauldron as a lasting symbol of both the Olympic Games and Summerhill’s own story.
“It is literally infused in the culture of the area,” Pitchford said.
The controversy has also revived memories of previous development battles in the neighborhood. Calhoun said her mother spent years fighting to remain in her home as the area surrounding the former Olympic Stadium underwent significant changes. According to the family, Jackson was ultimately allowed to stay in the home for the remainder of her life.
Jackson died in 2020 at the age of 98. Today, the lot where her home once stood is under construction.
Calhoun said relocating the cauldron would feel like losing another piece of her mother’s legacy.
“They taken a piece of my mother,” she said. “They’re taking a piece of one in this community like that here and left.”
Georgia State declined an interview request from CBS News Atlanta and referred the station to its written statement announcing the relocation plans. The university said the tower and Olympic rings bridge would remain in Summerhill even if the cauldron is moved.
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