We, the residents, parents, and taxpayers of DeKalb County, formally oppose the DeKalb County Board of Education's school closures and expansions under the Student Assignment Project (SAP). This plan, which proposes the closure of 27 schools and the forced expansion of 11 others, threatens the stability of our communities, the quality of our children's education, and the long-term value of our homes. We believe that fiscal efficiency should never come at the cost of community identity and student well-being.

OUR CORE GRIEVANCES: 

1. Closures Destroy Communities. Removing 27 elementary schools, including high-performing schools like Ashford Park, Vanderlyn, and Kingsley, and schools in our local area such as Oak Grove, Evansdale, and Henderson Mill - disrupts established support systems and forces young children into longer commutes and unfamiliar environments. 
2. Expansions Overwhelm Resources. The plan to add massive capacity to 11 schools (such as Hawthorne, Briarlake, and Sagamore Hills) risks creating "mega-schools" that lack the intimate, safe learning environments we value. Our local roads and traffic patterns cannot handle these sudden influxes. 
3. Disproportionate Impact. The current proposal places an undue burden on specific clsuters while ignoring alternative solutions - such as co-locating community services or early childhood centers - in "underutilized" space. 
4. Flawed Data Metrics. Using "empty seats" as the primary metric ignores academic performance, parental involvement, and the unique cultural value of individual campuses. 
5. No Plan for Vacated Buildings. There is no plan for the future use of the 27 school buildings after closure. Empty school buildings will negatively impact home prices, and abandoned properties often become magnets for criminal activity, including vandalism, drug use, and theft. 

OUR DEMANDS:

• Halt the Current Scenario - Reject the proposal of 27 closures and 11 expansions. DCSD still serves over 92,000 students who deserve walkable, neighborhood-centric education.
• Conduct Independent Impact Studies - Perform an exhaustive study on how these changes will affect local traffic, property values, and the socio-emotional health of students. 
• Prioritize Innovation Over Erasure - Utilize the $200M + in available funds to modernize existing smaller facilities, rather than consolidating them into massive distant campuses. 
• Extend the Feedback Period - Ensure that every affected cluster has a seat at the table before any final recommendations are brought to a vote in late 2026. 

*Please only sign if you are a DeKalb County resident who is 18 years and older. *