Atlanta Public Schools Sets Guidelines for Redistricting Maps

Atlanta Public Schools will release a set of guidelines that demographers used to complete the second round of redistricting maps that are set to be released next week.

The guidelines could be posted on the district’s website as early as Thursday, board member Reuben McDaniel told Poncey-Highland residents during a neighborhood meeting on Wednesday night.

The 25 guidelines aim to avoid redistricting neighborhoods that have been rezoned in the past three years, consider specific programs at specific schools, study transportation issues and keep neighborhoods together, among other factors, McDaniel said.

“The next maps will take into account some of these issues,” McDaniel said. “I really believe that the next two to three options will really reflect more on the thinking of the whole community around what we are trying to accomplish.”

Demographers only considered capacity of schools, current enrollment and projected enrollment when proposing the original four options for Atlanta Public Schools redistricting in late November.

included moving the Morningside and Lenox Park neighborhood out of the Grady High School cluster and combining with Hope-Hill Elementary in Old Fourth Ward as primary learning centers.

One elementary school campus would house kindergarten-through-second-grade and the other campus would house third-through-fifth-grades.

Other options included redistricting the Poncey-Highland neighborhood back to and creating a primary learning center with Hope-Hill.

After a round of public meetings with the demographers in early December, concerned parents and residents that advocated for their neighborhood schools.

to keep the Morningside and Virginia-Highland community together and avoid busing students to N. Atlanta High School in Buckhead. Many Morningside students currently walk or ride a bike to elementary, middle and high school.

Springdale Park parents instead of creating a primary learning center.

The second round of proposals are expected to be released in late January and a round of public meetings .

Check back Thursday afternoon for more comments from McDaniel and district three board member Cecily Harsch-Kinnane.

Follow city-wide APS Redistricting coverage on Facebook. Read more about redistricting on the VaHi Patch Atlanta Public Schools Redistricting Page.