What would it take to REALLY improve Atlanta Public Schools across the board? (Druid Hills: apartments, middle schools)

[chabang]

Originally Posted by jeoff

Something similar could happen to Hope-Hill if they rezoned Inman Park for it. Transition would be noisy for a couple of years, but folks would settle down once middle and upper class folks from O4W start sending their kids there. (Haven’t been to the school, but guessing they would have to expand to keep up with the demand).

Uh, Hope-Hill is already zoned for Inman Middle.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by chabang

Uh, Hope-Hill is already zoned for Inman Middle.

Uh, he is talking about Inman Park the neighborhood, not Inman Middle School.

Inman Park is zoned for Mary Lin Elementary.

[chabang]

Oh!
No, that's never going to happen.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by chabang

Oh!
No, that's never going to happen.

Never? Uh, yes it could...

Originally Posted by aries4118

Oakhurst Elementary was 90+% Black during that time (and before) and up until late 2004. And yes, the school district as a whole was roughly 1/3 white in the late 90s.


Oakhurst's demographics changed in 2004 because they closed Westchester, College Heights, and Glennwood and made three K-3 schools: Oakhurst, Clairemont, and Winnona Park.
(Fifth Avenue was already closed at this time--it had been temporarily absorbed into Oakhurst).
Also in 2004,

became the 4-5 Academy, and College Heights became the Early Childhood Center. Westchester became the home of the Central/Administrative Offices.

At this time/upheaval, the whole southern 2/3 of the former Westchester district was redistricted to Oakhurst. Oakhurst also received some western parts of the Winnona Park district since Winnona Park had to take in the southern half of the former Glennwood district.


Oakhurst went from 90+% Black to 46% White with the stroke of a pen.


This change/restructuring/redistricting, of course, accelerated the rate of gentrification in Oakhurst and the rate of whites entering the system in the southwest part of the city.

Since then, as you know, the schools have again been restructured/redistricted/reopened a few times (now CSD will have Oakhurst, Westchester, Clairemont, Winnona Park, and Glennwood as K-2 schools, and Fifth Avenue and the new Talley Street school as 3-5 schools).



The point is that the CSD demographic changes had more to do with strategic reshuffling/restructuring/redistricting. It was a very pragmatic way to approach things.

Originally Posted by jeoff

Something similar could happen to Hope-Hill if they rezoned Inman Park for it. Transition would be noisy for a couple of years, but folks would settle down once middle and upper class folks from O4W start sending their kids there. (Haven’t been to the school, but guessing they would have to expand to keep up with the demand).

[arjay57]

The city of Atlanta has been becoming more diverse than just white and black.

There's now a significant number of Hispanic students at several schools and I wouldn't be surprised to see that continue to grow.

[Clayton white guy]

Most Hispanic students in the city are actually in the North Atlanta High/ Sutton Middle School cluster with a larger concentration within Garden Hills Elementary. Sutton Middle has been 1/3 Hispanic for decades. Several years ago there was also a population going to Long Middle School/ South Atlanta High in Southeast Atlanta, not sure if this is still the case. Most seemed to live in trailer parks along the Jonesboro Road corridor right before it "jumps" 285 heading into also Hispanic heavy Forest Park.

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I never not felt comfortable sending my daughter to Toomer. I did not grow up in the suburbs, but rather urban West Palm Beach (east of I-95.) I attended mixed race schools, in fact I remember being the only white student on my school bus for HS, but I nor my mom was ever worried about that fact. I was never bullied or picked on because I was the only white boy on the bus, in fact I learned how to become agreat Spades player. I carried that same mentality to my daughter and have never had issues sending my privileged, blonde haired, blue eyed daughter to schools where she was the minority.

Maybe more and more people moving to the city will have the same mentality as you. What is your response when your neighbors besmirch the traditional APS public schools?

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by equinox63

Maybe more and more people moving to the city will have the same mentality as you. What is your response when your neighbors besmirch the traditional APS public schools?

I cannot bash someone for choosing what they think is best for their kid(s).

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Yep. Transition was a bit noisy at Oakhurst at first, but if settled down right quick. Now, Oakhurst is actually the whitest elementary school in the district, I think.



Two Questions for you:

1. Do any/some/a lot of Inman Park students and families actually walk to Mary Lin Elementary (instead of taking the bus)?

2. If Mary Lin was just Candler Park and Lake Claire, would that be enough students and families to fill the school?

1. I don’t know about Inman Park, but quite a few from Lake Claire walk or bike, and it’s just about as far—but crossing Clifton and Moreland are a bit different... still, I would guess at least some.

2. Folks zoned for other schools can apply for a school outside of their zone, if there are extra desks, and they provide their own transportation. So, i am pretty sure that the Lin would fill up one way or another—arguably a good thing, since the school could be considered a little too insulated. That said, drop off and pick up is already a zoo—a surreal happy zoo-but, still a zoo—hate to think what adding even more car riders would be like. Maybe having a drop-off/pick up at Candler Park Park?

Also, there is always the possibility that chunks of Druid Hills/Emory could start falling Atlanta’s way, those folks would have to go to school somewhere...

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Clayton white guy

Most Hispanic students in the city are actually in the North Atlanta High/ Sutton Middle School cluster with a larger concentration within Garden Hills Elementary. Sutton Middle has been 1/3 Hispanic for decades. Several years ago there was also a population going to Long Middle School/ South Atlanta High in Southeast Atlanta, not sure if this is still the case. Most seemed to live in trailer parks along the Jonesboro Road corridor right before it "jumps" 285 heading into also Hispanic heavy Forest Park.

Housing is getting so pricey in COA that many lower income Hispanics (and lower income everybody's) may be blocked from attending city schools.