VHCA Earmarks 20K to Fight APS Redistricting

The Virginia-Highland Civic Association earmarked $20,000 on Monday that could be used to fight Atlanta Public Schools redistricting.

The money would be used to cover "any legal needs that may arise as APS redistricting moves forward,” Virginia-Highland Civic Association president Jack White said.

The money would be pooled with funds from neighboring civic associations to hire lawyers to see if the redistricting process is legal or possibly hire demographers to look at the .

"The process has been so abrupt and arbitrary that it's alarmed huge numbers of parents," White said. "We’re hoping APS will respond to pleas from many communities to proceed more deliberatively and inclusively, but if that doesn't happen, we are prepared to work with other neighborhoods in considering all the options available to us." 

White said he spoke with representatives from Inman Park and Morningside, who have committed to pooling money together.

All four original options for Atlanta Public Schools redistricting include removing from the and Grady High cluster. In these proposals, Morningside kids would attend a new proposed Mid-town Middle School and N. Atlanta High School.

because students would be bussed up to 10 miles to school, among other concerns.

Some options include splitting the campus with Hope Hill Elementary in Old Fourth Ward. One campus would house kindergarten-through-second-grade and the other would house third-through-fifth-grades.

Springdale Park parents are and keep the school kindergarten-through-fifth-grades.

At the end of January, the demographers hired by Atlanta Public Schools will release two or three new proposals that reflect public input and updated census data. A second round of public input meetings will be held once the proposals are released.

A final recommendation from the superintendent to the board of education is expected in April.

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