Every parent wants the best education for their kids. But are some parents willing to tweak their legal residency so their children go to a certain school?
The Atlanta Public School System is investigating a series of possibly fradulent enrollments at Grady High School. After auditing enrollment records throughout the district, school system officials determined that Grady’s enrollment is higher than anticipated. And the system said it wants to “ensure that students currently attending Grady are there appropriately.”
Burgeoning enrollment is also a major issue in Decatur, where that system's enrollment is 10 percent more this year than last year.
And in 2011, an especially big jump in enrollment led to outrage among parents of Oakhurst Elementary-zoned kindergarteners, who were told their children would have to attend another school because of overcrowding. This incident came right as the APS cheating investigation was ending.
And just after the APS went through a hugely divisive redistricting and school closure debate, comes news that Inman Middle School is badly overcrowded. All options are on the table when it comes to addressing the problem, including moving sixth or eighth graders to vacant buildings in the Old Fourth Ward, or building a new middle school entirely.
Patch wants to know: is it wrong for parents to falsify their residency so their kids can attend a different school from the one in which they are zoned? Does it bother you that some overcrowding could be the result of families not being truthful about their legal residence?
Related Topics:
APS To Investigate Possible Fradulent Enrollment At Grady.
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Edwards On School Overcrowding.
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There's many reasons for bona fide residents to be doing the dropping off you see. Kids like to walk together. Working parents need a place for their kids to wait until school starts. Kids are running late and miss the bus or can't walk in time. Etc.
As for those who lied, they chose their bed. They lost my respect for that, but also for leaving my daughter + 2 to their own devices, when a concerted action was called for. I don't know what their kids think, but I know what my daughter saw, and what she learned. She's better off for it.
Yes, I do understand the trepidation about entering a predominantly black school when you're not used to it. It can be a leap of faith. It's just fear of the unknown, amplified by negative stereotypes. But you'd be amazed how quickly that evaporates once you see that people are just people and get to know them on an individual basis. Before long you know which kids are the debate stars, the academic stars, the music and theatre talents, the gifted artists, the robotics geeks, etc., etc. Delightful, funny, friendly, smart, hard-working, awesome kids. Get over your racial fear of the unknown and you will find something wonderful. My two sons were successful, happy, and well-adjusted at Grady, and continue to be so in college. We are blessed that we chose to support our neighborhood schools. We love Grady.
The vibe started changing a bit with the advent of late '80s Yuppie-dom, when things started to go upscale; but intown living was still one of Atlanta's best-kept secrets. The '96 Olympics boosted the downtown area, but didn't have much effect on NE intown neighborhoods, which already had been undergoing gentrification for 15 years by then. This model could easily be duplicated in the Jackson High cluster today, with the talent and energy of the young people moving into the eastside neighborhoods; they're much like we were 30 years ago.
Nik - It's "supposed." Shane - You're a racist.
The contradiction of the free lunch numbers and the area don't make sence. One week my 12 year old comes home and says mom, why are so many kids getting free lunch. I answer they are lying, because they can't live in this zoned area and only make the $22K cut off. Then this week she said you know alot of kids don't even live in the district, I said yes I know. This morning, I followed one in an all decked out aqua blue Thunderbird ( are they re-issuing those or was it restored) convertable) with Dekalb County plates. Black women all decked out. Gee how could I have guessed.
Free lunch numbers are high because the school system wants high free lunch numbers. Free Title 1 funding is HUGE. BTW--DeKalb has the "residency fraud" issue also. (1) DeKalb's better school zones actually take in Gwinnett students coming from areas with lower housing values. Why? Because they can't get away with residency fraud in Gwinnett. (2) DeKalb was a willing recipient for the "Clayton Diaspora" while other counties had Sheriff Deputies checking out residency. (3) DeKalb filled empty desks and supported motel businesses with welcome arms for Katrina victims. Fair or unfair--complicated--but our better schools' new classrooms are already over capacity.