Petitions to Save Fernbank Science Center Gain Momentum

Parents, residents and friends of are circulating two petitions that ask DeKalb County Schools to keep the doors of the science center open.

after a school board committee recommended closing the center in an effort to plug a $73 million budget gap.

The district spends about $4.7 million to operate the Fernbank Science Center in Druid Hills and pay 56 full-time employees.

The center, which includes a museum and planetarium, offers hands-on education about animals and planets to about 160,000 school children and visitors each year.

One of the two petitions circulating around the community has more than 1,000 signatures.

“Our children's future--our nation's future--depends on a firm foundation in science and technology. Let's not rob our children of every opportunity to compete in our global economy,” authors of the petition wrote.

It’s unclear who started the petitions, but many parents and supporters of the science center have been vocal on the Save Fernbank Science Center Facebook page and local blogs.

Read the Dekalb County Board of Education: Save Fernbank Science Center petition here.

The Save Fernbank Science Center! petition is available here.

What’s your take — should the district consider closing the center to save money? Tell us in the comments!

Come join the rest of the VaHi-Druid Hills Patch fans on Facebook!  It's Patch and Facebook together. Doesn't get much better than that.