FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Months after Fulton County Schools announced they were looking at whether or not to close two elementary schools, parents opposed to the plan released a long analysis and report highlighting what they say are flaws in the rationale to close them.
The schools in question, Parklane Elementary School and Spalding Drive Elementary School were listed for possible closures due to what the district said was lower enrollment over multiple years and issues with the buildings’ infrastructure.
However, parents of students at the schools say their programs are high-performing and specialized, and the closures of the schools will be harmful to students, and the larger Fulton County community.
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On Thursday, a group of parents with students at Spalding Drive Elementary released a more than 100-page report which was also shared with the school district.
Among the reasons listed in the “Case to Save Spalding” document were the impacts on capacity, inconsistent data, conflicting models for capacity and need, complicated enrollment forecasts, and what were described as misrepresentations of the condition of the school’s physical structure.
Channel 2 Action News first reported on the plan in mid-September, when the district confirmed that they were examining how best to address school populations and maintain the district’s resources and assets.
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The district said that the schools were old and in bad physical condition when the proposal was made, though parents noted in their report that there were inconsistent adjustments to the building’s conditional rating with “contradicting documented evidence.”
The Save Spalding Committee recommended the school district hold off on its plans to make a decision on the closure, which is expected to come on Jan. 14, 2025.
During a school board meeting for Fulton County on Thursday, parents again attended to discuss the potential closures, but the public comment portion of the meeting was not broadcast publicly, while the rest of the board meeting was.
In a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News, the school district said that they’ve been working through a multi-stage effort to engage the community on the topic of the school closures and the redistricting process, as well as having parents be “continuously engaged with Board members at the full Board meetings.”
Parents have also met with officials individually and have reached out to speak with district leadership through “numerous emails and phone calls.”
“Dr. Looney and the Board are listening and taking all of this input into account. We are grateful for the report presented by the Save Spalding group and it is part of the information being considered by the superintendent and staff,” a district spokesman told Channel 2 Action News. “Dr. Looney will present a final recommendation to the Board at the January 14 meeting.”
Soon after the proposal was first made in September, the communities for both schools pushed back on the plans and the district began the process of going over plans and public hearings while also meeting with stakeholders.
At one meeting, the mayor of East Point came out in support of keeping Parklane Elementary open.
As part of that process, parents in Sandy Springs took a look at three potential redistricting options for schools, should the elementary institutions close and hundreds of parents have shown up to public meetings held to discuss the potential changes to the district.
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