Comments on: The Closing of Forrest Hills Elementary

By: just cranky

just cranky — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:16:06 +0000

Free Westchester

By: Diane

Diane — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:47:00 +0000

I have no special information on this, but from reading the newspaper, it sounded like the DeKalb School Board was not interested in cooperating with independent, publicly funded charter school operations. And allowing the international school to use this building would be that kind of cooperation.

I’m a huge supporter of public education, but this charter school sounds like a way to revitalize local schools, help the local community etc.

I suspect that the big public school system doesn’t want to give up control of that school and that money. It does seem awfully short-sighted to me.

By: JB

JB — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:46:22 +0000

I’ve heard rumors that this may happen in a few years…

By: JEM

JEM — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:46:08 +0000

Mr. Reed went to Chestnut, a Dekalb elementary in Dunwoody.

By: nelliebelle1197

nelliebelle1197 — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:44:34 +0000

Why can’t the Museum School apply to take it? Wasn’t there some sort of charter school thing that allows them to do that?

By: cfn

cfn — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:58:58 +0000

The Forrest Hills principal, Mr Reed, was wonderful. Does anyone know where he wound up?

I agree that DeKalb Co is crazy not to let the International School or Museum School use this space. It would totally rejuvenate the area…

By: JEM

JEM — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:52:40 +0000

It is very sad to see to see the school close and the neighbors move. They are missed. But, still there is hope that Dekalb County Schools will see the light and allow a charter school to operate in our neighborhood. The school is presently in good shape and with some renovation could be ready quite quickly for school children. It is nowhere in as bad of repair as Fifth Avenue, but, of course, that will eventually happen if it is left empty. To top it all off, the county has made the school a bus barn. We have empty busses coming in and out of the neighborhood on a regular basis, so we feel really loved by Dekalb.

By: Karass

Karass — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:08:52 +0000

In my short but not miniscule experience, when schools are closed, whether they be 5th Avenue in Decatur or schools in DeKalb County, it is said they can be reopened if enrollment changes. But then they are left to deteriorate rather than used for another purpose and they have to be razed and rebuilt if the space is needed again. That’s why careful enrollment predictions based on actual numbers of young children, not projections from hospital births, should be used. But in these financially tight times, I think we’ll see more and more school closings, just based on budgets, not on enrollment. I hope and pray that closures or large classrooms based on budget do not come to Decatur. I hope that preventing such events is the number one priority of decision makers.