Schools

APS Redistricting: Springdale Park LSC Statement

SPARK LSC asks to remain K-5 and keep neighborhoods together

The following letter was sent to the Atlanta Public Schools board of education and district superintendent Erroll B. Davis, Jr. on on behalf of the Local School Council on Feb. 22, 2012.

Dear Atlanta Board of Education Members and Superintendent Davis,

Thank you for your time and commitment to this important process. We appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback throughout this process and we recognize the many constraints under which APS is working including shrinking state budgets and rising student populations.

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On behalf of Springdale Park Elementary School (“SPARK”) Local School Council, this letter is being sent in response to the redistricting Option A and Option B recommended by the demographers on January 27, 2012. We are enthusiastic that these new options keep SPARK K-5. We support the Superintendent’s Demographic Guiding Principles that he released on January 19, 2012, which seem to align with the values of our community.

We respectfully request that the Atlanta Board of Education and the Superintendent follow the guidelines described on the next page as the final recommendation is developed.

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Propose boundaries that will be functional for 10 years

We ask Superintendent Davis and the APS Board of Education to make a 10-year commitment to final attendance zones and allocate the resources necessary to support them. This should include dedicated classroom space allocated for children with disabilities to attend their neighborhood schools, as well as for gifted pull-out sessions.

Avoid splitting neighborhoods

In the spirit of this guideline, we ask that Midtown not be split between SPARK and Morningside Elementary School. Midtown was re-districted from Morningside Elementary School to SPARK less than three years ago and during that process, APS did not split the Midtown neighborhood.

Minimize impacts on areas that have been redistricted within the last three years

We ask that SPARK’s attendance zone (including Midtown) be preserved since we were redistricted within the last three years. Our constituents strongly value keeping the four SPARK neighborhoods (Druid Hills, Midtown, Poncey-Highlands and Virginia-Highlands) together. Less than three years ago, these neighborhoods were redistricted out of Morningside and Mary Lin Elementary Schools to form SPARK. Parents and community members, in addition to Ms. Brown and SPARK’s staff, spent countless hours working to build SPARK and help our children transition to a new school. These parents and more importantly, SPARK’s children, should not be subjected to yet another change in elementary schools.

We ask that SPARK remain K-5. This increases transitions for the children, splits parent time between schools, splits siblings between schools and creates transportation and other logistical issues and inefficiencies if children are sent to schools outside of their communities.

We agree that the new options are on the right track and we ask that the final recommendation keep SPARK K-5, maintain SPARK’s current attendance zone for the next 10 years, and that APS provide the necessary resources to support the final attendance zones.

We stand ready to work with you on this re-districting process and appreciate the opportunity to share this critical input from the SPARK community.

With regards,

LeAnne M. Gilbert

Chair and Business Partner

Springdale Park Elementary School, Local School Council

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