APS proposes changes to the North Atlanta cluster, which will be voted on in December
Atlanta Public Schools is grappling with a $135 million budget deficit. However, the way the school system has proposed fixing this has some Buckhead parents concerned.
The APS Forward 2040 Comprehensive Long Range Facilities Plan proposes to make sweeping changes to the entire district over the next 10 to 15 years. Currently, the district has a capacity for 70,000 students, but only about 50,000 are enrolled. (That number has stayed steady over the last 10 years, including pre- and post-pandemic.) APS has overcrowding issues, underutilized campuses, and aging facilities, and the school system is framing the proposal as a necessity for long-term sustainability for the district.
The APS Forward 2040 website says the plan is a “four-legged stool, in which the seat represents the facilities, supported by educational framework, demographics, condition, and funding. Each of these legs carries an equal amount of importance when developing a facilities master plan.” A recent press release outlined the purpose of the process as, “to not only balance enrollment and improve the use of facilities, but also to enhance academic offerings across the district, ensuring all students have equitable access to robust, high-quality learning opportunities.”
APS’s issues are not unique. Angira Sceusi is the executive director of educational nonprofit redefinED Atlanta, which creates the Atlanta Schools Data Project. It’s a continuously updated database that organizes publicly available data via the Georgia Department of Education regarding school performance, equity, and more. She says that the enrollment problem is indicative of a greater demographic shift. Fewer people are having children, and the population growth in Atlanta is being driven by professionals without children. She also cites pandemic-related issues, such as greater private school enrollment and homeschooling, as impacts on public school enrollment.
In December, the school board will decide on APS Forward 2040.
Conscerned parents meet at Morris Brandon Elementary on September 4, 2025. Photos courtesy of Save Brandon
Three scenarios for the North Atlanta cluster were presented in September, all of which had dual campus schools (Sarah Smith Elementary, Jackson Elementary, Brandon Elementary, and Sutton Middle) consolidated with the potential for boundary “realignment.” The proposal said that the redistricting would balance enrollment, create more equitable funding, and improve programming.
However, some Buckhead parents felt that the initial unveiling of this plan had left them with more questions than answers. Said Jenny Perry, a concerned parent with children at Sutton Middle School and Brandon Elementary, the opaque process, confusing proposal, and lack of financial transparency have been frustrating.
“The big question for us is, where are the hard numbers?” Perry said. “You’re saying that this is to solve a deficit, but we’ve yet to see any numbers on the actual savings.” Inefficiencies in the plan, such as needing to add 350 seats to Sutton Middle School, should one campus close, are perplexing to her. “We’ve never been given the number on how much it would cost to create those seats,” she said.
She felt that some of the proposed impacts could include education quality, community culture, and more, which seems unnecessary given how well the school performs.
The Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods, which addresses issues that relate to the quality of life in our neighborhoods, concurred with parents.
“Our schools are part of how people decide where they’re going to live, and become a part of a community,” said Council president Debra Wathen. “People have invested in their children’s futures.” She said the process has been disheartening, from the timeline to the budget and the potential cost savings’ opaqueness. “We don’t have an education problem in the North Atlanta cluster,” she said. “It’s a mistake to look at this from a facility standpoint without having the education of our children as the primary focus,” she said.
She also pointed out additional complexities that the scenarios could bring, such as changes in Buckhead’s already cumbersome traffic patterns and property values. “People pay a premium to be in particular school districts,” she said.
A meeting of the council in September confirmed that Wathen’s concerns are shared by the wider Buckhead community. In response, Atlanta Public Schools unveiled a revised proposal for the North Atlanta cluster in early October.
Under the updated plan, Brandon Elementary and Sutton Middle would continue operating as dual campuses, while Sarah Smith and Jackson Elementary Schools would each consolidate into one campus. Jackson’s Primary building could be repurposed, possibly as a professional learning or early childhood center, pending community input.
The Sarah Smith Intermediate building would also potentially be repurposed at some future date. The district is considering a $20 to $30 million future investment to renovate or rebuild Sarah Smith’s consolidated campus, funded through ESPLOST if voters approve the next cycle. Overall, there are now no proposed boundary changes for the North Atlanta cluster. APS estimates these consolidations could save $1.5 to $2 million per school each year through reduced staffing, maintenance, and utility costs.
A new board member will be elected to the Board of Education on November 4th, 2025, and will help decide whether to approve, decline, or amend the APS Forward 2040 Facilities Plan.
