Atlanta Public Schools drops plan to rezone Midtown students

ATLANTA – Atlanta Public Faculties has introduced that it has dropped its plan to rezone greater than 200 college students in Midtown Atlanta to different faculties attributable to overcrowding.

APS despatched a survey to households in Midtown final week in regards to the problem. The survey gave two choices — rezoning and redesigning the present the varsity and cracking down on residency verification.

A number of college students have been upset in regards to the prospect of being despatched to a different faculty and held a protest final Friday in close by Piedmont Park.

The college district despatched the next letter to folks on Thursday:

We need to thank all the college students, employees, households, and group members who shared their suggestions and requested questions this previous month about our Annual Services Evaluation Course of and proposed eventualities. We heard from tons of of stakeholders by group conferences, Let’s Speak, and a number of other further engagements.

We heard one main theme throughout all clusters: Our communities are not looking for us to rezone, particularly if now we have not exhausted all different choices. Subsequently, APS plans to develop and implement the non-rezoning situation (State of affairs #1) to handle overcrowding at Jackson HS, Midtown HS, and Woodson Park Academy. As well as, we’re updating how we measure and reply to capability as a part of the Annual Services Evaluation. It will guarantee methods that don’t require rezoning are explored and carried out previous to any future beneficial rezoning. You will discover extra info under:

1. APS plans to develop and implement the non-rezoning eventualities (State of affairs #1) to handle overcrowding at Jackson HS, Midtown HS, and Woodson Park Academy.

Innovation Evaluation Timeline (Midtown HS, Jackson HS, Woodson Park Academy): Every faculty will work with the Workplace of Innovation, Enchancment, and Redesign to verify the timeline meets their wants.

Might: Kind Design Groups at every faculty
June: Host Kick-off expertise
August-September: Develop potential options
October: Share potential options

Residency Evaluation: The expanded residency assessment to verify in-zone college students started for Midtown HS on March twentieth and can conclude by the tip of June. Extra info on what’s included and concerned on this course of could be discovered right here: https://websites.google.com/apsk12.org/osar/midtown-high-school-residency-review. This assessment will even happen for different overcrowded faculties.

Extra Capability Evaluation: Over the rest of this semester, APS Services will assessment the potential of utilizing present area or including area to extend capability at every faculty.

Accessible Assets Identification: As a part of the Fiscal 12 months 2024 Funds Course of, APS will work with faculty principals to assessment assets accessible to reduce the impression of overcrowding on the faculties.

We’re updating how we measure and reply to capability as a part of the Annual Services Evaluation.

At the moment, APS makes use of smaller class dimension ratios than the Georgia Division of Training. For instance, APS highschool capability is calculated utilizing a 25:1 ratio for lecture rooms, whereas the State establishes a most of 32:1 for core lecture rooms. Going ahead, APS will assessment how this distinction in school dimension ratio can align higher with what method we take to handle capability challenges. This might permit for non-rezoning methods to start earlier than recommending rezoning.
Please be a part of us on April twenty fifth and April twenty seventh to dive deeper into these methods. Keep tuned for extra particulars and knowledge. As at all times, proceed to make use of Let’s Speak to supply your ideas and suggestions: http://tinyaps.com/?LetsTalk
 

Yours in service,
Dr. Lisa Herring