In little more than two weeks, demolition at Cross Keys High School will begin. It will erase decades of decline at the DeKalb County campus, transforming brick and mortar literally coming apart at the seams into a newly modern school building.
But the renovation —- which months ago suffered an ill start when the first architect quit, among other delays —- seems unlikely to address a deeper concern among some advocates about Cross Keys' future as a traditional neighborhood high school.
"I feel like a vibrant community, which has a vibrant commercial life and a vibrant identity, also has a vibrant public school community," said Kim Gokce, who lives with his family in the Brookhaven area around Cross Keys and is president of the local HillsDale Neighborhood Association. He is also active with the Brookhaven Community Connection, the local business league.
"In this community," Gokce said, "people see Cross Keys and roll their eyes."
Built in the 1950s on North Druid Hills Road, the campus sits on about 40 acres just west of I-85. The city of Atlanta's glitzy Buckhead business district is just around the corner. DeKalb school board member Don McChesney, who represents Cross Keys, said the site "is worth more money than any school property in the county."
The physical condition of the campus, however, includes cracks, rust and wear. This summer, the school's front sign boasts graffiti. Plastic covers broken windows. A few weeks ago, workers cleared out a ravine adjacent to the school where some vagrants had settled.
On Gokce's blog, www. communityradar.com, as well as on www.dekalbschool watch.blogspot.com, users have posted pictures and discussed complaints, including those of teachers who have to get a broomstick to turn on antiquated air conditioners.
The renovation means to address those conditions, although Cross Keys is hindered by more than its physical plant. It has a narrowly defined attendance zone. Parents —- who in some cases speak little or no English —- get drowned out by more organized advocacy groups from nearby high schools.
"The parents there are typically working-class who don't have the time to be vocal," said 2004 graduate Janixia Reyes, now an admissions counselor at Agnes Scott College in Decatur.
"They assume they send their children to a school that will give them what they need," Reyes said. "That's how it was with my parents. They would've never complained about food or facilities."
Cross Keys serves about 800 students; its capacity reaches 1,300.
Gokce argues that officials need to make more of an effort to reach parents as well as widen the school's reach, starting with an expanded attendance area.
Its current zone is squeezed between those of DeKalb's Chamblee and Lakeside high schools —- coveted by families as two of the state's best —- and follows Buford Highway, an area that has historically been home to immigrant families.
Despite its location near some of Atlanta's trendiest neighborhoods, Cross Keys is a Title I school, meaning it serves a higher-than-average number of low-income families. Its student population is majority Latino and includes a number of English language learners.
Overall, it has met federal academic standards once in the last seven years. Yet students succeed —- their average math and science scores on Georgia high school graduation tests beat or equal those in DeKalb and across the state.
"There are needs," board member McChesney said about the school. "We can't just leave the community hanging."
Beginning this school year, Cross Keys will host a small career/technical program that last spring enrolled 79 students full-time. It is not clear where the numbers will go from there.
A demographic report done in 2006, before the economy tanked, suggested the number of students at Cross Keys would nearly double by 2014 given nearby areas that appeared ripe for renewal.
McChesney now doubts that will happen and said if enrollment does not pick up, Cross Keys may better thrive as a magnet school that draws from across the system.
"I think renovation is the best way to go, provided we can use this building to still serve the students and taxpayers if it does not remain a viable traditional high school," McChesney said.
As it stands, the system has set aside $20 million and hired a construction manager and general contractor. The school will be open, with students shifting out of areas as they are targeted for work. Patricia Pope, the system's chief operating officer, said this week in an e-mail that demolition and building prep work will start Aug. 1. Scheduled completion is slated for December 2010.
"We are back on track [and] have apologized to the community several times for the delays," Pope said. "I am confident that the community will be pleased with the renovations once complete."
About the Author
