Atlanta — Across the Atlanta metro, dozens of schools could soon close as districts face declining enrollment.
Channel 2’s Michael Doudna reviewed trends across districts and found declining enrollments are changing how school boards consider which buildings to keep open.
For many families, a school is more than just a building.
“The school is everything,” said Dunwoody parent Yang Yang. “It’s why we moved to Dunwoody.”
She and other Dunwoody parents are working to convince DeKalb County School District to keep Vanderlyn Elementary School open next year.
The school was one of over two dozen up for closure when the district announced redistricting plans earlier this year.
“It’s an anchor for the community,” Tarun Pawar said. “My kindergartner loves it here. She feels part of the community here.”
Across the district, more than nine thousand parents gave feedback on the school district’s proposal to close up to 27 buildings.
For parents like Yang and Pawar, the school is a foundation for the community and for a child’s educational career.
But nationwide, rising costs and declining enrollments are forcing districts to make tough decisions
“When I go to superintendent conferences across the country, we’re all grappling with the same issues,” said Fulton County Schools superintendent Mike Looney.