DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County is closing down schools and reconfiguring others as part of its student assignment project, and some parents don’t think they’re using the right data.
“The problems that we’ve had have been built up over 20 years. There’s no need to try and solve them in 20 minutes,” said parent Cameron Lewellen.
Lewellen has three children attending Vanderlyn Elementary School in Dunwoody and has been paying close attention to the district’s declining enrollment, and the need to close down and reconfigure schools.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
He told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes that he’s not against the project, but he’s concerned about how fast interim superintendent Dr. Norman Sauce is moving.
“We’re rushing toward a place where we feel like there’s a lot of the emphasis is on what it’s going to cost and who it’s going to benefit, but none of that benefit seems to be the children,” said Lewellen.
We met with another parent, David Ziskind, who also has multiple children at Vanderlyn Elementary School.
“Sometimes the right answer is pause, hold on. You know, this is a sunk cost. Let’s do what’s right and it feels like there’s a real push to go forward without a clear understanding on that,” said Ziskind.
Both parents were part of the group who voiced their concerns to State Senator Sally Harrell.
On Monday, Senator Harrell wrote a letter to Superintendent Sauce saying she’s concerned about the current plan.
RELATED STORIES:
- Last chance for parents to weigh in on proposed school closures across DeKalb County
- DeKalb County Schools updates list of schools that could close
- Parents remain frustrated as dozens of DeKalb schools face potential closures
Sauce responded by assuring Senator Harrell that district leaders are still in the phase of collecting data and they’re not making decisions just yet.
However, many parents disagree. They feel like district leaders aren’t listening.
“I think especially some of the more recent meetings have been more of a road show, more of a selling, ‘This is what we’re doing,’ as opposed to really taking that feedback, understanding it and willing to make changes,” said Ziskind.
On Friday, the school district is expected to come out with their next phase of proposed changes.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]