APS reveals final redistricting plan

ATLANTA — Atlanta Public Schools parents are getting a first look at the final redistricting and closing plans.

School officials posted details on the district website overnight.

Proponents of the controversial plan said it will save money on buildings and put more resources into educating students.

Ten schools are slated to close on the revised list, opposed to 13 originally on the chopping block for shutting down.

• Read final redistricting and closing recommendations
• Elementary school cluster map
• Middle school cluster map
• High school cluster map

The elementary schools that will be closed include Capitol View, Cook, East Lake, D.H. Stanton, F.L. Stanton, Herndon, Towns and White.

Parks and Kennedy middle schools will become a future career academy.

Meanwhile, Coan Middle School will not only stay open but get more resources, the report said. The school has an Emory University partnership, but will also move in a year-long relocation while the campus is upgraded. An international baccalaureate program will also be implemented, which is included in the requirements for what the report calls "the new Coan."

Superintendent Erroll Davis and school leaders held more than 70 meetings to hear public concerns. The final report acknowledges the closings hit hardest in the southern part of the district. APS said that's where the empty seats are, while the north side is overcrowded.

The new plan sets up 10 clusters and the expectation that "every school in every cluster will follow a rigorous curriculum."

Another school getting a rebuild is southeast Atlanta's Maynard Jackson High School at a cost of $30 to $40 million. Closing dates and rules for students grandfathered into their current schools vary.

The final report will be submitted to the school board April 10.

WSBTV