DeKalb wants feedback on proposal to close 27 schools
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Another metro Atlanta district is weighing a plan that would close more than two dozen schools, redrawing boundaries for thousands of students.
Why it matters: The DeKalb County School District is grappling with a decline in enrollment. Fewer students mean fewer state dollars to fund programs, which could lead to budgetary shortfalls and cuts.
Driving the news: A series of feedback sessions on the district's "Student Assignment Program" begin this week, with in-person and virtual options.
- Meetings will be held Monday at the Board of Education's Administrative & Instructional Complex, Tuesday at Cedar Grove High School, Wednesday at Martin Luther King Jr. High School, and Thursday at Cross Keys High School.
- All meetings will begin at 6pm.
- Each virtual meeting will begin at noon. Participants can sign up here.
Zoom in: Under a proposal unveiled earlier this month, three high schools — Cedar Grove, Lithonia and Towers — would become middle schools.
- Five middle schools — Bethune, Champion Theme, Lithonia, McNair and Miller Grove — would transition into elementary schools.
- Cedar Grove Middle School would close, as would 26 elementary schools: Ashford Park, Bob Mathis, Brockett, Browns Mill, Canby Lane, Cedar Grove, Columbia, Evansdale, Flat Shoals, Henderson Mill, Kelly Lake, Kingsley, McLendon, McNair, Midvale, Oak Grove, Redan, Robert Shaw Theme, Rock Chapel, Rowland, Stone Mill, Stone Mountain, Stoneview, Toney, Vanderlyn and Woodridge.
Yes, but: The district said changes would be implemented over six to eight years.
By the numbers: As of October 2025, DeKalb County had about 90,000 students, down from around 101,000 enrolled in October 2015, according to Georgia Department of Education data.
What they're saying: Interim Superintendent Norman C. Sauce said declining enrollment affects how the district can support students and staff and maintain its buildings.
- "We owe it to our community to be transparent about the challenges we face and to listen carefully before charting a path forward," he said. "This phase is about hearing directly from our stakeholders."
Catch up quick: The DeKalb County School District released its proposal just two months after the Atlanta Board of Education adopted a plan to shutter several elementary schools and repurpose those buildings.
What's next: Another round of in-person and virtual meetings will be held next month.
- The district's timeline calls for a final proposal to be presented to the Board of Education in the fall.