Open Letter To Jackson High School Area Parents

Dear Atlanta Public Schools Stakeholders:

The meeting scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 1 has been rescheduled for Thursday, Dec. 15. The meeting will be held at Jackson High School, located at 801 Glenwood Ave. SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30316, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to inform our stakeholders about the district’s renewed commitment to serving the needs of the Jackson High School community. We invite you to attend and learn more about Jackson’s candidacy for the International Baccalaureate Program, new advanced placement courses and renovations for a state-of-the art learning facility.

Contrary to rumors and much online discussion, this meeting is not about any thoughts, ideas, assumptions or plans regarding proposed school feeder patterns or the demographic study. I would like to apologize for any misunderstanding related to the initial meeting announcements.

As you may know, there has been a lot of speculative discussion about the demographic study. We recognize the sensitivity on this important issue and the impact it may have on our school communities. Further, we understand that keeping you informed is our obligation, and we are accountable to the communities we serve.

The primary reason for moving the Maynard Jackson meeting to Dec. 15 is that we will host one of four demographic study community meetings on Thursday, Dec. 1. The Dec. 1 meeting is for SRT-3 and will be held at Parkside Elementary School, located at 685 Mercer St., Atlanta, Georgia 30312, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. During the meeting, independent demographers will present multiple scenarios for your consideration and feedback.

We implore you to review the presented scenarios and provide feedback to ensure that we implement plans that are best for our schools and communities, and most importantly, our students. Again, let me be clear. No recommendations have been made; no scenarios are in our possession and; we welcome and need your input as we move forward with planning.

Thank you for helping us make a difference in the lives of our students in Atlanta Public Schools.

With warmest regards,

Erroll B. Davis, Jr.
Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools