The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is considering converting Cross Keys High School in Brookhaven into a non-traditional facility focused on career, technical, and agricultural education.
Meanwhile, the district is also proceeding with a planned renovation project to modernize the building.
One of the most diverse high schools in Georgia, Cross Keys has a majority Hispanic population with a 62% on-time graduation rate.
Cross Keys student population was 1,796 students during the 2023-2024 school year, over capacity by 500 students. According to DCSD, schools should operate at between 85 and 90% capacity; Cross Keys is at 141%.
In the Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) program, students would choose from 49 academic areas of study called “pathways” with the option to complete their education at one of three technology high school campuses.
Pathways include automotive, cosmetology, law and justice, manufacturing, and healthcare.
While the law and justice pathway at CTAE school DeKalb High School of Technology (DHST) North has a 92% pass rate, automotive technology comes in at just 17%. DHST South pass rates range from 61% in computer science to 100% in several pathways like teaching, AV tech and film, and barbering.
The school renovation is being paid for by Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST V). By December, DCSD says Cross Keys will reconfigure the building’s entrance, library, and courtyards. DCSD will add tennis courts, a new baseball field and complex, and an auditorium in another phase of construction.
“We are trying to solve as many problems as possible,” said the district’s COO Erick Hofstetter.
At a July engagement meeting, Superintendent Dr. Devan Horton told parents there were no firm plans yet and the district is not in a rush to make the conversion.
“We don’t have a vision for Cross Keys to say that this is going to happen,” Horton said. “We want you all to understand and trust us as we go through this process.”
If Cross Keys were to become a CTAE school, parents stated concerns about recruiting qualified teachers, communicating to non-native English speaking families, and that DeKalb “offers programs and then eliminates them due to budgetary factors.”
“The success rates are unfortunately quite low. What we would love to happen is to really assess, Why are the pass rates so low? Let’s dive deep into that,” said DCSD parent Rachel Mariano.
“One of the things that we are committed to is making sure all voices are heard,” said Doryiane Gunter, director of CTAE.
Engagement meetings will be held for the next 18 months.
