ATLANTA — Protestors showed up at the Atlanta School Board meeting Monday night, and Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco was there.
They said they do not approve of the district’s decision to close and repurpose 16 Atlanta Public Schools, and they are preparing to vote the current board members out when the next election comes around.
“If we have to go back to erase the board, we will do that because you have to be accountable to the people who elect you,” Rev. Timothy McDonald told board members.
The board voted unanimously to restructure 16 schools in December 2025.
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APS said enrollment is low, buildings are aging and a consultant group found it can save up to $25 million a year by closing buildings and moving students to other, nearby schools.
Critics argue some of the schools, like Dunbar Elementary School and Continental Colony Elementary School, should not be on the list based on enrollment.
The current plan is to close those schools by Spring 2027.
“How can you require or request students to have high performance if you destabilize them?” said Nathaniel Dyer.
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District staff said the decision is done. The board is now shifting its focus to the next phase of the plan which is deciding what to use the buildings for next.
“Your strategy and structure is all over the place,” Dyer told the board. “You say you don’t want to pay for empty seats on the Black side of town, but you do it on the white side of town.”
He argued the economically feasible option would be to redraw district lines.
He said the Superintendent should start negotiating and remove some of the schools from the list, or they will start over with new leaders.
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