ATLANTA – Concerned residents on Atlanta’s Westside gathered Monday night for an emergency community meeting in Vine City, saying a proposed Atlanta Public Schools plan to repurpose 16 schools will disproportionately impact their neighborhoods — and deepen what they call decades of disinvestment.

‘A crisis’ for Westside

What they’re saying:

The meeting, held at Live Life Tabernacle, drew a small but passionate group of residents who said they’re tired of being overlooked when it comes to city funding and educational resources.

“We have a crisis,” one speaker said, as community members nodded in agreement.

Under the APS proposal, a majority of the 16 schools slated for closure or repurposing are located in Atlanta’s western neighborhoods, including Vine City and nearby communities.

Alton Peterson, a longtime resident and small business owner, voiced frustration over what he described as another blow to struggling families.

“They closing down schools. What can kids going to do?” he said. “They probably have to travel farther — and parents can’t do that because they’re struggling to pay rent and other bills.”

Concerns over city spending and gentrification

What they’re saying:

Residents also pointed to what they view as a longstanding disparity in how Atlanta’s tax allocation district (TAD) funding is distributed. The program was designed to spur development and improve infrastructure in underserved areas — but locals say the benefits haven’t reached them.

“We need oversight,” one attendee said. “We need to make sure it actually goes toward projects that actually help the people.”

Last month, Mayor Andre Dickens proposed using $5 billion in TAD funds to expand access to jobs, education, and food, while extending the program through 2055. But residents worry that the plan won’t arrive soon enough to slow gentrification and prevent more long-time families from being displaced.

Ann Breedlove, a Westside business owner, said her community has watched property values rise while Black residents have been forced out.

“The property owners and investors that have taken our properties in these neighborhoods — they have studied, pushed out African American people,” she said.

Calls for inclusion and accountability

What they’re saying:

For Peterson and others, the solution begins with inclusion — ensuring Westside residents have a voice in how development dollars are spent.

“My concern is just that the money’s going into the right places,” Peterson said. “Up the street, you’ll see folks laying on the sidewalk, folks asking you, ‘Can I get a quarter?’ It shouldn’t be that.”

Those who attended Monday’s meeting said this was just the beginning. They hope to strengthen dialogue not only within the neighborhood but also with city leaders and APS officials.

ATLANTA – If you’re flying out of or through Atlanta ahead of Thanksgiving, prepare for potential delays at the world’s busiest airport.

Possible travel delays in Atlanta

What they’re saying:

Storms moving into Georgia on Tuesday could create travel headaches at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to the FOX 5 Storm Team.

“It’s beautiful today — clear skies, sunshine, and mild temperatures — but that’s going to change,” said FOX 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alex Forbes. “We’ve got another cold front coming in that’s going to bring the risk for some stronger storms on Tuesday.”

The National Weather Service and FOX 5 Storm Team are tracking a system that could bring damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour, hail up to one inch in diameter, and frequent lightning.
Rain chances are expected to reach 70% Tuesday, with most of metro Atlanta likely seeing three-quarters of an inch to an inch of rainfall, and some isolated areas nearing two inches.

“The rain chance on Tuesday is going to be at 70%,” Forbes said. “There’s a better chance than not of seeing some rain. In an extreme instance, you might see upwards of about two inches.”

The timing of the storms could coincide with one of the busiest travel days of the year.

“We’re going to see scattered showers and storms over the airport at some point, maybe at several points,” Forbes explained. “Planes can’t get through fronts — they go around them — so you’re going to be looking at longer flight times from any cities that are on the other side of that boundary: Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Louisville.”

Add in the holiday crowds, and even small disruptions could ripple through the national flight network.

“Mix into that the number of people flying, the number of planes in the air, and then, oh, by the way, it’s going to storm at Hartsfield–Jackson at some point,” Forbes said. “So Tuesday at the airport, we might have some visitors spending the night with us here in the Atlanta area.”

Clear, seasonable Thanksgiving in Atlanta

What’s next:

The good news: once the front moves through Tuesday night, skies will clear and temperatures will drop sharply — setting up a chilly but calm Thanksgiving Day.

“We clear out for Thanksgiving,” Forbes said. “Then it’s smooth sailing into next weekend.”

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