Atlanta Public Schools restarts work on facilities master plan

Atlanta Public Schools is resuming work on its facilities master plan, a document that will guide building decisions over the next decade.

APS halted work on the plan a year ago, citing a need to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic would impact enrollment forecasts.

Now the district is relaunching the planning effort with a virtual meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 13. The session will include information about current and projected enrollment data and what those numbers mean for the district’s future building needs.

ExploreAtlanta school system delays work on long-term building plan

The district enrolled 49,994 students as of Oct. 5, according to state data. That’s down from 51,012 last year and a pre-pandemic count of 52,416 in 2019.

The master plan will inform district decisions about merging, closing or expanding schools; how to redraw school attendance zones; and which properties APS no longer needs.

District officials said they expect to present options to the school board in March, with final approval to follow in June.

Development of the plan started in 2019, when APS signed a contract with the Atlanta-based firm Sizemore Group to help with its creation.

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Fulton to close two elementary schools despite parent protests

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