Parents and community leaders vow to fight to stop the closure of Towns Elementary School in northwest Atlanta, after APS Superintendent Erroll Davis put that school on the recommended closure list.

"I was just totally shocked," said Carroll Heights Coalition President Dolores Lattimore. "We were just blindsided."

Parents are upset because Towns was not on Davis' preliminary recommended closure list released a few weeks ago, but now it is.

Many feel they were not given the opportunity to fight for their school since they believed their school would stay open.

"We were not given that opportunity because we were led to believe that we were not on the chopping block," Lattimore said. "We're just in total shock over this, and that's why we feel blindsided."

In the original preliminary closure list, Towns remained open, but nearby Fain Elementary closed. Now, in the new list released Saturday, Fain stays open and Towns will close.

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Towns Parental Liaison Lisa Riggins believes Fain parents rallied to save their school while her parents didn't want to rock the boat since they believed they were safe.

"I have to commend (Fain parents)," said Riggins. "They gave it an amazing fight, and that's what you have to do. You have to fight, and I guess they took that into consideration."

In a statement on the APS website, Davis wrote, "While it is difficult to propose the closing of any school, it is a necessary step to ensuring that all of our schools are enrolled to minimum capacities so that essential educational resources can be equitably distributed. We have worked hard to make the redistricting process as open and transparent as possible..."

Parents plan to rally in support of Towns at the Great Elizabeth Bible Church across the street from Towns on Bolton Road.