Don writes in…

CSD wants to be recognized as a top 10 districts in the nation. I note that US News doesn’t list DHS among the top 29 of GA high schools. To be fair, Walton HS and Lakeside HS are missing, too, and I think they’ve got good reps. I’m hoping someone with more knowledge can explain why US News’s methodology may exclude DHS. Thanks

29 Georiga schools made the list, with Redan High School in Stone Mountain is the only high school in DeKalb County to register.

And to help you gather background info, the ranking methodology can be found in full here.  Here’s the summary…

A three-step process determined the best high schools. The first two steps ensured that the schools serve all their students well, using state proficiency standards as the benchmarks. For those schools that made it past the first two steps, a third step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.

A proposed underground tunnel that would bust it’s way through many East Atlanta neighborhoods to “alleviate traffic” on the Downtown Connector is projected on a GDOT Workshop Project sheet (page 11) to cost $3.7 billion dollars.

Which got me thinking.  What would any half-sane, non-political body (that’s you!) do with $4 billion to elevate Atlanta’s traffic congestion?

P.S.  Click the map to the right to enlarge it.

About a week ago, Katy documented her recent troubles with DeKalb’s low-flow toilet rebate over on her Decatur blog “A Life Fulfilled”.

After submitting rebates for the two new, low-flow flush toilets her husband installed in preparation to sell their home, they received a letter from DeKalb County informing them that their application couldn’t be processed because the program had run out of money.

Understandable, right?  Even the best toilet rebate programs sometimes find themselves without a penny to their name.  However, Katy’s major complaint was that all the instructions and info about submitting a rebate and receiving your refund within 60 days, was still sitting pretty on DeKalb County’s website.

A call to the county didn’t ease their mounting toilet-rage.  Her husband’s inquiries about why info was still posted if the program was out of money were expertly returned with DeKalb’s infamous “I’m sorry, but…”s and little else.

According to Katy, the County never took the info that stated refunds would be received within 60 days.

But all is not lost for Katy.  This past Tuesday, DeKalb’s County Commission came to her rescue, replenishing the toilet rebate program with funds once again…

H20. Budget Amendment to the Annual Funding Provided for the Toilet Rebate Program for 2009 (Assigned to the Budget, Finance & Audit Committee – recommended approval) – APPROVED

Jeff Rader’s Commission Office Coordinator, Caroline Enloe, confirms…

Due to the overwhelming response to the rebate program, the funding that was appropriated was exhausted sooner than anticipated. At yesterday’s Board of Commissioners meeting there was a vote to approve additional funding of $75,000 for the toilet rebate program for 2009. These funds are to cover pending requests and new applications through 2009 that meet the criteria for the low flow toilet rebate program. If you made a request and it was returned for lack of funding, you should now be able to request the rebate. I believe pending requests do not need to reapply, but I suggest you call the number for the toilet rebate program 770-270-6243 to confirm.

All is right with the world.

Many Decatur Heights residents still want the Peer Support and Wellness Center on Sycamore Road to eliminate its drop-in program for mental health patients, but so far the city has determined the Center hasn’t broken any zoning laws.  From the AJC…

This week, the network submitted files confirming the state had authorized the facility and explaining why the drop-in component is critical to the mission, said City Manager Peggy Merriss.

She has not yet reviewed the documents but will make recommendations for city action once a review is complete.

“We will review it and proceed from there,” Merriss said.

There is no timetable for when the city will issue its next report. No meetings, including neighborhood sessions, have been planned.

Tip of the ol’ fedora to Nellie for pointing out this new article.