The Atlanta Public Schools released a new set of maps late Friday that reflect new attendance zones, following the Board of Education's instead of 10 as.
While most of the attendance zones remain the same for the schools of East Atlanta Patch, there is one notable change for the Summerhill community.
The Summerhill neighborhood, which in Grant Park, is now moved from that school and is slated to attend D.H. Stanton Elementary in Peoplestown.
"The revised redistricting plan was approved in its entirety by the board earlier this week, including all rezoning and feeder pattern changes," APS spokesman Keith Bromery told East Atlanta Patch.
"I am not in a position to provide the rationale associated with specific zoning decisions, except that generally they are designed to more evenly spread student enrollment among the remaining schools following the decision to close seven schools."
Earlier plans had Summerhill zoned to D.H. Stanton, but Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr. moved the neighborhood to Parkside as many in the community wanted.
The Cabbagetown neighborhood, which , remains in that school's attendance area.
That the change for Summerhill came without any board discussion, isn't unusual, Bromery said.
"Approvals without discussion of specifics are fairly common for boards of education," he said. "Boards commonly stay out of the weeds in these matters, leaving it to the superintendent and his staff to attend to the details."
Summerhill residents, meanwhile, planned to meet Sunday to discuss next steps.
Here's how the school attendance zones in East Atlanta Patch shake out based on the new maps (Bold denotes an East Atlanta Patch neighborhood school.)
Grady High School Cluster:
- Inman Middle School
- Centennial Place
- Hope-Hill Elementary School (Old Fourth Ward): Old Fourth Ward, Sweet Auburn, Capitol Gateway, Oakland and the portion of Downtown east of I-75.
- Mary Lin Elementary School (Candler Park): Candler Park, Inman Park and Lake Claire.
- Springdale Park Elementary School
Jackson High School Cluster (Grant Park) includes:
- Benteen Elementary School (Benteen Park): Benteen Park, Chosewood Park, Englewood Manor and the area of Custer/McDonough/Guice** south of Custer Ave SE.
- Burgess-Peterson Academy (East Atlanta Village): East Atlanta Village.
- Coan Middle School (Edgewood): Edgewood, Kirkwood, East Lake, Reynoldstown and East Atlanta Village.
- D.H. Stanton Elementary School (Peoplestown): Peoplestown and Summerhill.
- Dunbar Elementary School
- King Middle School (Grant Park): Grant Park, Cabbagetown, Ormewood Park, Summerhill, Peoplestown, Benteen Park, Chosewood Park, Englewood Manor, Custer/McDonough/Guice (and Mechanicsville).
- Parkside Elementary School (Grant Park): Grant Park, Ormewood Park, Boulevard Heights, Woodland Hills, Cabbagetown Glenwood Park and the area of Custer/McDonough/Guice** between the creek and Custer Ave. SE.
- Toomer Elementary School (Kirkwood): Kirkwood and East Lake.
- Whitefoord Elementary School (Edgewood): Edgewood and Reynoldstown.
Carver High School Cluster:
- Parks Middle School
- Price Middle School
- Sylvan Hills Middle School
- Capitol View Elementary School
- Finch Elementary School
- Gideons Elementary School
- Perkerson Elementary School
- Slater Elementary School
- Thomasville Heights Elementary School (Thomasville Heights): Thomasville Heights and Chosewood Park.
** While Custer/McDonough/Guice is split at the elementary school level between Benteen and Parkside elementary schools, the entire neighborhood is zoned for Jackson High School.
Terry: and that split also sends them to different HS's, correct?
This is a very heated and emotional subject, and we can understand some peoples concerns. However, not only did Peoplestown not request to have Summerhill students come back to Stanton, we were shocked ourselves when they got zoned out of Parkside. I understand that people may want their children to go to a better school, but what about the fact that we wouldn't even have one????? While some may wish to have a better school for values, or even in a sense as a luxury; our residents (many who don't even have a car) needed a school with walkability. Even if not, what about the mere fact that we may want to fight for our school like others fought for theirs? The tone that many blogs, groups, and emails have been relaying is that Peoplestown, or D.H. Stanton are not only inferior, but not worthy of being considered in the greater cluster, or East Atlanta area (continued in post below).
Don't however talk down to us or make comments about our school (not necessarily here), one that has great potential, a wonderful new prinicipal, only minor repairs needed on the outside of the school, and has a great community supporting it. We are excited that parents who have this much passion and well wishes for their community may be joining us, and hope to see this much feeling and zeal come to making the school even better and look forward to working together. Our neighborhoods have worked together long before this and hopefully well into the future after this, as this too shall pass.
Are you saying to keep the school open just so Peoplestown can have a school? I'm not agreeing nor disagreeing with this comment, just that Supt. Davis has been adamant and clear that we (APS and the communities) are doing a disservice to students by not providing the full funding available - which is supplemented by meeting minimum enrollment of 450. It appears Parkside would be the only school in the Jackson Cluster with FULL services and support. Just a factual observation. But, for the record, Summerhill does not have a school - McGill ES was closed a few years back and now Cook ES is closing. After experiencing two school closures, I don't blame them advocated so strongly to be in Parkside. Yes, I totally agree each neighborhood has a right (and should advocate) for their interests.... and it was totally unfair to be put on the list at the last minute. But one needs to look at the numbers and the growth projections. It's going to be delicate and tough conversation... as the current and projected numbers for Peoplestown are stagnant respective to growth of school age kids. Especially, compared to neighboring communities like Grant Park and Ormewood Park.
The announcement and timing of Stanton's closure was not handled well by APS- there should have been more notice, and not over break. What I think Davis and his team did, though, is look at locations and which were in better physical condition. Benteen received major renovations and technical upgrades just a few years ago. Because that south and southwest section of the proposed Jackson cluster has lost so much school-age population, something had to give, and Stanton's closure makes sense from those angles. That Stanton was able to get such support after the closure notice was impressive, and the plans are too. But I have to ask, just where was the support before the notice? That history doesn't bode well for the future.
The problem in that area used to be Thomasville public housing, and the New Towne complex. Thomasville is long gone, but New Towne is still a crime-generating slum. And the Fisher Rd. complex, good gawd it fills the crime sheet weekly. Gladstone is another bad spot, but it reportedly is being gradually emptied for closure. But the Fed. Pen? Back in the '80's, the staff housing was in great shape, just like you'd expect Fed. facilities. Now, all the houses along McDonough and Sawtell are in disrepair- if I had a complaint (and, I do) it would be with their upkeep of the property. Still, those are in better shape than 90% of the rest of the properties along McDonough. And the Pen provides no danger.