One item referenced by both the city and CSD during the recent Annexation Master Plan approval, specified that city schools wouldn’t need to provide educational services to students in the annexed areas until 18 months after the effective annexation date.

This has led to a few comments here in the last week where folks have worried that any such delay in adding students to the City Schools of Decatur school system would mean that they would be paying Decatur school taxes, while continuing to send their kids to DeKalb County Schools.

So I followed up with Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss, who verified that this wasn’t the case.  She writes…

As I understand it, taxpayers would continue to pay property taxes to the appropriate school system where they are enrolled.

For example, if the annexation was effective on December 31, 2015,  then for school year beginning July 1, 2016 students in the annexation area would continue to attend DeKalb County schools and taxpayers would pay DeKalb County school taxes in two installments in 2016 (usually due in late August and mid November).  For school year beginning July 1, 2017, students in the annexation area would attend City Schools of Decatur and taxpayers would pay Decatur School taxes in two installments in 2017 (usually due June 1st  and December 20th).

So taxes would be paid to the school system for the school year where the children are enrolled.

I hope that clarifies things a bit.

Bryan sent in this scene this morning from the site of former DeKalb Hooper Alexander Elementary School on Memorial Drive, which borders the Midway Woods neighborhood to the north.  (MAP)

DeKalb County recently tore down three vacant elementary schools around the county and plans to return them to greenspace before deciding what to do with the property, according to Crossroads News.

Back in 2012, a local resident wrote in to DM to ask for help regarding “criminal activity” at the vacant school and in January of this year there was a major fire in the building.

AJC is reporting…

Last month, when the school board negotiated a budget with $60 million in cutbacks, Fernbank and its $4.7 million in annual expenses was spared.

On Monday… hours before the final vote on the budget, Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson said she would be recommending $3.2 million in cutbacks at Fernbank, a school facility that operates independently of the nearby Fernbank Museum of Natural History run by a nonprofit.

Just a few hours ago, Kris sent in this letter written to the DeKalb County community, pleading that Fernbank Science Center not be closed as a result of DeKalb County Schools’ $73 million budget deficit.  “When did that happen?”, I thought.

Well, according to the AJC’s Ty Tagami, DeKalb County Schools budget committee recommended the closing of Fernbank just yesterday.  A move that would save the school system $4.7 million annually.  The article goes on to say that the Center is now looking like a luxury to school officials, who may still need to cut teachers and school days to make ends meet.

The letter to the community notes that Fernbank Science Center has operated for 45 years.  For those who have never been, the facility includes a “500-seat planetarium, observatory, classrooms, and exhibit halls”.

Dave forwards this note sent out to Fernbank Elementary School parents.  According to a blurb in the AJC, Fernbank would be one of eight new schools if DeKalb, Decatur, Atlanta and Fulton voters decide to approve and extend SPLOST.

As the AJC reports this morning, last night the DeKalb School Board took a final vote on closing eight county schools and redistricting those affected.

The vote was almost a year in the making. Board members made several attempts to pass new attendance boundaries but backed off because of criticism and political pressure.

More than 200 parents and community members showed up to protest the most recent round of changes, but the plan passed with a 7-2 margin.

…The plan approved Monday closes eight schools: Atherton, Glen Haven, Gresham Park, Peachcrest, Medlock and Sky Haven elementary schools, Avondale Middle School and Avondale High School.

Some residents in areas just outside the Decatur city limits aren’t protesting, but rejoicing, as many of the homes in the Forrest Hills and Midway Woods neighborhoods were rezoned into the well-regarded “Druid Hills Cluster” – which includes Avondale Elementary School, Shamrock Middle School and Druid Hills High School.  This was “due to hundreds of emails, going to meetings”, according to one Forrest Hills resident.  So satisfied with the change, they exclaimed “I would vote against being annexed [by Decatur] now.”.

Students who formally attended Medlock Elementary will now be split amongst Laurel Ridge, McLendon and Avondale Elementary schools.  (See page 8 of this presentation for a map of the change.)

The AJC reports that the DeKalb School Board voted this morning to require students to attend school on February 18 and 21st to make up days lost to the Great SnOMG of 2011.

Awesome snow pic from our Eye on the (Snowy) Street thread.  Courtesy of Kate!