State legislators hope to end discord between the DeKalb County School District and Atlanta Public Schools over Atlanta’s annexation plans for Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control.
The Senate Study Committee on the Financial Impact of Atlanta Annexation on Schools held its first meeting Thursday. Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur, said several potential remedies were discussed to address concerns over the annexation. DeKalb Schools has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the annexation, contending last-minute changes to the city of Atlanta's plans moved the school district's borders, giving about 10 students and $2.5 million in tax revenue to APS.
“Somewhere in this, we’re going to try and come up with a solution,” Jones said. “It is not beneficial when two of the largest school systems in the state are suing each other. No one wins.”
At issue is the recent Atlanta annexation, with also included Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. The annexation — 744 acres, the largest by Atlanta since Buckhead was annexed 65 years ago — was approved by the Atlanta City Council on Dec. 4. The area became part of Atlanta in January. The students affected will become part of the Atlanta Public Schools system on July 1.
DeKalb school district officials have expressed concerns since last fall about the annexation, saying they were initially told it would not impact the school district. Days before the Atlanta City Council voted on the ordinance, DeKalb County School District officials said the proposal was changed to reflect growth for APS.
Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen at the time pointed to her district’s charter, which stipulated it grew when Atlanta did.
Jones said that was based off a 1981 Georgia Supreme Court ruling sharing the same sentiment. This situation – where a school district largely gains through tax revenue without adding many students – is more unique.
“Clearly, they didn’t anticipate this kind of annexation,” he said. “There are some flaws in the law, and we’re also looking at changes we can make, whether we could do something with local legislation.”
Michael Erwin, DeKalb County Board of Education chairman, said he's hopeful a legislative solution can be found to address the recent annexation and avoid a courtroom battle.
“We’re trying to keep people aware if APS keeps expanding with the city of Atlanta, they … take our tax revenue away,” Erwin said.
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