Sandy Springs parents and elected officials during a work session on Jan. 14 urged the Fulton County Board of Education to keep Spalding Drive Elementary School open.
The school board got its first official look at the Fulton County Schools staff’s recommendation to close the school. An accompanying redistricting plan would send current Spalding Drive students to Heards Ferry and Woodland elementaries. However, it would require sending some current Woodland students to Ison Springs.
The Save Spalding Committee had shared with the school board its 106-page report in support of keeping the school open,
Superintendent Mike Looney said the school district must balance wants with financial reality. Costs are rising, making maintaining schools more expensive. The state funds school districts based on the number of students, so fewer students mean less state funding. FCS spends an average of $7,000 more per pupil at Spalding Drive and Parklane Elementary School – the other school with a closure recommendation – than other schools, he said.
“Can we continue to spend $7,000 more per pupil to provide small school environments when other schools don’t have that benefit?” Looney asked.
The school superintendent said closing the school would immediately save $2 million. That figure did not include staff reductions. Looney said with job vacancies every year, it would be a matter of relocating teachers, principals and other staff, and finding a place for them to work that fits their skills and qualifications.
Katie Gregory, whose District 3 school board seat represents part of Sandy Springs, agreed that financial implications must be considered. However, she added that there are regional impacts and questioned the timing and the necessity.
Parent Stephen Bell said his daughter has earned her place in advanced English and accelerated math after struggling with a learning gap caused by the pandemic.
“As a parent to see her learning gap from COVID, how despondent she was about her struggles to where she is now is truly a testament to the staff and the flexibility of Spalding Drive,” Bell said. “Those small learning spaces, using breakout rooms and the targeted instruction were instrumental in helping my daughter and countless others accomplish more than they thought possible.”
Bell said parents have asked for the forecasted savings from the closure and what unplanned massive capital expenses are “exploding” the budget for Spalding Drive. He said FCS staff have refused to engage with the community in meaningful ways.
Fulton County Commission Bob Ellis, who represents Sandy Springs, wants at least a five-year postponement on the closure decision. He said data shows the school attendance will eventually reach capacity.
“Those kids have been through a lot of trauma in this school in particular. You’ve got a lot of special needs kids, and economically disadvantaged kids, and they’ve made this whole thing work. And you could potentially disrupt that,” Ellis told Rough Draft Atlanta after offering public comment to the school board.
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said that 10 to 20 years ago, North Springs High was in the top 10 in SAT scores in Georgia. Paul said former Fulton Schools Superintendent Steve Dolinger told the mayor that the school district knew that getting the students enrolled who would raise SAT scores required them to compete with the private schools because parents have a choice where to send their children.
“Just an example, if you put in a technology curriculum at the elementary level, you’ll be sucking kids out of the private schools so fast you’ll have to build and add on to Spalding Drive because that’s what the parents in our community want,” Paul said.
Rep. Deborah Silcox, who attended Spalding Drive Elementary, told Rough Draft she was concerned about the school closure, given that open enrollment will allow any child in Fulton County to attend any Fulton school starting in 2025-26. With a waiting list for Pre-K classes at the school nearing 100, a new North Springs High School and new communities under construction, she said she thinks it’s “crazy” to tear down or eliminate the school.
Sandy Springs City Council members Andy Bauman, Jody Reichel, Melissa Mular, John Paulson and Melody Kelley attended the meeting in support of the Spalding Drive community.
Gabriel Sterling, who serves as chief of staff for the Georgia Secretary of State, also attended in his role as a parent. He said closing the school removes a viable option.
“We’re spending a lot of money in investment to make North Springs a shining star. We need the feeders to remain strong, to keep that investment as good for the taxpayers as we possibly can,” Sterling said.
The FCS board will hold two public hearings on the closures and redistricting before a final vote on Feb. 20 at the South Learning Center in Union City. The public hearings will be held Feb. 11 at the North Learning Center in Sandy Springs and Feb. 20 at the South Learning Center in Union City.