The DeKalb County School District could close more than two dozen schools in the coming years as it tries to solve its capacity problem. But it could also change which grade levels are housed in each of its schools.
The changes, which are in the early discussion stages, could be a major shift in how DeKalb educates its students. The district could implement pre-K through eighth grade schools, pre-K through third or sixth through 12th in different areas of the county in an effort to better use its facilities.
“There’s no grade configuration out there that is fully better than the next,” said Tracy Richter, the vice president of planning services at construction management group HPM, which is helping DeKalb in its redistricting process. “Every grade configuration has its benefits and challenges.”
DeKalb County mainly has three types of schools: elementary for pre-K through fifth, middle for sixth through eighth, and high for ninth through 12th. This is the “tried and true” model, Richter said, that’s used by 75% of schools in the United States.
The state’s third-largest school district has room to teach roughly 18,000 more students than it actually is. Thanks to declining birth rates, demographic shifts and the rise of school choice, public school enrollment has been trending down and is expected to keep doing so. DeKalb school leaders are trying to figure out how to more effectively use the space they have.
The first version of its redistricting plan — called a “scenario” — included the possible closure of 27 schools, the expansion of 11 and the conversion of eight to serve different grade levels. The district has yet to delve into attendance boundaries and the placement of special programs.
This month, a new version of the plan will be released, and it could include more specifics — including possible changes to how grade levels are grouped in certain schools.
“Understand that grade band configuration doesn’t fill empty seats,” Richter said in February. “It allows us to structure the district a little different based on the certain areas that might need different delivery models.”
In addition to merging the middle grades into elementary or high schools, the district could separate elementary schoolers, putting pre-K through third grade in one school and fourth and fifth grades in another.
Each comes with its own pros and cons. Fewer transitions to new schools can be good for students and families, but putting students at different developmental ages in the same building can pose a challenge. Although schools serving more grades allow younger students to access more advanced coursework, having smaller grade level cohorts at schools can mean less access to extracurriculars and special programming. And depending on the configuration, it could require more bus routes or updates to facilities.
Different communities may require different grade band configurations, Richter said. For example, the initial plan suggested converting Cedar Grove High into a middle school that would feed into McNair High. Instead, both high schools could be converted into six-12 campuses. But Richter stressed too many grade configurations would be too confusing to families. Making sure students understand their path to graduation is key.
City Schools of Decatur — a small charter district within DeKalb County — currently splits its elementary schools between second and third grades. Three of the five schools serving kindergarteners through second graders have fewer than 200 students, meaning it doesn’t qualify for some state funding. The district considered closing one of the schools, but postponed any decision-making after pushback from parents.
DeKalb is taking feedback via its online survey until Sunday. A second scenario, including grade configuration options, is expected to be released to the public on March 23. The school board won’t make any final decisions until the end of the year.
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