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DeKalb Schools Splits Student Assignment Overhaul Into Two Phases

The pivot signals a reset that centers community input over preset scenarios.

Overview

  • The district, which announced the shift Tuesday, will tackle overcrowding first with August community talks and a December Board recommendation.
  • Planned projects for 2027–2029 include an Idlewood Elementary expansion, a new Dresden Elementary, a renovated and expanded Cross Keys High, and new Sequoyah middle and high schools that would form a new cluster affecting Chamblee, Cross Keys, Dunwoody, Druid Hills, Lakeside, and Tucker.
  • The next phase in spring 2027 will study under-enrollment in the Towers, Columbia, McNair, Cedar Grove, Martin Luther King Jr., and Miller Grove clusters, where closures or consolidations remain only possibilities.
  • Officials said early engagement felt too top-down and the scenarios appeared predetermined, so this summer they will review feedback and enrollment data to design a more focused plan for discussion.
  • Parents have protested potential closures, including a rally to keep Oak Grove Elementary open, and teachers and families face uncertainty about future school assignments until the Board votes in December.