DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County will pay a contractor up to $500,000 to recruit students back into schools.
Parents who already have students in the district told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes the money isn’t worth it.
District officials hired a company out of Tennessee known for helping districts with declining enrollment.
DeKalb is willing to pay this company to bring in at least 560 kids.
“You can’t keep looking to the outside to fix what needs to be addressed first and foremost on the inside,” said parent Phaylicia Robinson.
Robinson said she was not surprised to find out school district officials have signed the contract with the company Caissa K12 to help solve their declining enrollment issues.
Caissa K12 plans to cold call and text parents who have left the district to homeschool, enroll in private school or enroll children for the very first time. Robinson said those new parents need to know what they’re getting into.
She said administrators are making another expensive mistake that doesn’t put students first.
“I don’t know that anybody that’s currently there is willing to do anything to bring about the changes that are necessary,” she said.
Many parents who have been closely following what’s going on say bringing more students into a broken district isn’t the answer.
“The curriculum isn’t rigid enough. It’s not strong enough. We’re teaching only by tests; we’re not really teaching foundational skills. These kids can’t read. They can take tests, but they can’t read,” said parent Jeannette Fusia.
Fernandes requested to speak to an official here about that, but a spokesperson told me no one was available.
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