The Fulton County Board of Education on Thursday evening took the first steps in potentially closing two elementary schools, despite pleas from many parents who packed a meeting to keep the schools open.
The board voted 5-2 to advance a plan to close Parklane Elementary in East Point and 4-3 to move forward with a similar proposal to close Spalding Drive Elementary in Sandy Springs. There will be two more hearings about the plan in February.
Although the majority of board members voted to advance the issue for further discussion, some voiced their opposition to the plan.
“(We should do) something well and well thought out, not only by the numbers and the efficiencies, but in how we create and keep the relationships and the trust in our families to speak positively of our schools and our connections,” said Katie Gregory, whose district includes Parklane. “And I think that is as equally important and as valuable as the dollars that we need to run these schools.”
Since September, board members had been listening to parents like Stephen Bell, who told them about how his daughter benefited from being at a small school like Spalding Drive.
“She has now earned her place in advanced English and accelerated math,” he said. “As a parent to see her learning gap from COVID, how despondent she was about her struggles, to where she is now is truly a testament to the staff and the flexibility of Spalding Drive, those small learning spaces, using breakout rooms and the targeted instruction, were instrumental in helping my daughter and countless others accomplish more than they thought possible.”
District officials have said the cost of keeping the schools open is too high. Administrators said enrollment at each school is below Fulton’s threshold of 450 students and maintaining aging buildings is too expensive.
“Here’s the truth: the cost of ‘doing school’ is going up significantly,” Fulton Superintendent Mike Looney said at a board meeting last week. “It just is. Everything is more expensive. Paying teachers, health insurance benefits, retirement, the cost of buying fuel, the cost of building buildings, the cost of paying the electric bill, everything has gone up.”
Looney added while expenses are increasing, Fulton’s overall enrollment has declined 7% in the past five years. Because state funding is tied to student enrollment, Looney said Fulton receives less money from the state than it used to. He said the district is spending more than it’s taking in each year and makes ends meet by using reserve funds.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
“At the two schools in question, we’re spending about $7,000 more on average per student than at any other elementary school,” he said.
Parents at both schools were stunned when Fulton officials recommended closure at a school board meeting in September. Some parents have questioned the district’s data and reasons for wanting to close the schools. Spalding Drive parents compiled a report called, “The Case to Save Spalding Drive.” The analysis points toward the school’s growing pre-kindergarten enrollment as a sign that overall enrollment will increase in the coming years. They also argue that the building is in good condition.
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Beyond metrics and data, parents like Christy Taylor, have spoken about the advantages of attending a smaller school.
“My autistic daughter is (at Parklane),” she said. “She’s not there in the autism program, though it is fabulous. She’s there in the honors program. She doesn’t have (a special needs plan) anymore because the small school and the small class sizes enabled her to socially adapt.”
Local and state politicians have also shown up at school board meetings to express support for keeping the schools open. During the Jan. 14 meeting, Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, Fulton County Commission Vice Chair Bob Ellis and the chief operating officer for Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office, Gabriel Sterling, all spoke in favor of keeping Spalding Drive open.
Paul urged the board to defer a closure decision for a minimum of five years.
“There are plenty of students in Sandy Springs to fill that school if you will take the creative, innovative approach to curriculum that the community really would love to see you do more of,” Paul said. “It’s already one of the best-performing schools in our community, so let’s go the next step, not close it. Let’s save it, expand it, and make it better than it’s ever been before.”
The school board will discuss the proposal during a work session Feb. 11. If they approve the plan, it will be placed on the consent agenda for the Feb. 20 board meeting, where members will cast a final vote.
