DeKalb County School District revealed a list of 27 schools that could be closed or repurposed based on a recommendation in the Student Assignment Project (SAP) as part of an effort to address the district’s ongoing declining enrollment.
The district is in the scenario and community feedback phase of the SAP. The goal of the project is to maximize resources, ensure long-term academic sustainability for students, families and DCSD staff. There are 26 elementary schools and one middle school that could potentially close over the course of six to eight years, Carla Parker, DSCD spokeswoman said.
Among the schools under consideration for closure are Brookhaven’s Ashford Park Elementary, Vanderlyn and Kingsley elementary schools in Dunwoody, and Brockett Elementary in Tucker.
Emotions run high
The Brockett Elementary School PTA sent out a message to parents on Feb. 12 encouraging them to provide feedback in the survey regarding the school closure scenario.
“Attention, all Brockett families and friends, our beloved elementary school is one of 27 on DCSD’s list for potential closure in the next 6-8 years,” read a statement from the Brockett Elementary School PTA. “Please take a minute to share your feedback on the district’s School Alignment Project.”
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District 1 Representative Andrew Ziffer, who represents the zone that encompasses Kingsley and Vanderlyn, both schools with passionate stakeholders, said in an email to Rough Draft Atlanta that the proposal is in the discussion stage.
“Community feedback is a critical part of the SAP process, and residents are strongly encouraged to review the proposals and provide input,” Ziffer said. “The goal is long-term sustainability: aligning facilities with enrollment realities, addressing capacity pressures at the middle and high school levels, and ensuring resources are used efficiently across the cluster – always with students at the center of the decision-making process.”
Ziffer said he was surprised by the inclusion of Vanderlyn and Kingsley in the potential closure list.
“What did come as a surprise to many was that two elementary schools — Vanderlyn Elementary and Kingsley Elementary — appeared on the potential closure list, and that Chesnut Elementary was proposed for expansion,” he said.
“Under the scenario being discussed, the Dunwoody cluster would ultimately consist of three larger elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school,” Ziffer continued. “It is also clear to me that parents and community members have deep, emotional connections to their local schools. I recently saw a post describing a neighborhood elementary school as a ‘gem.’ I understand and respect that sentiment – our schools are more than buildings; they are gathering places, memory-makers, and anchors of community identity. But across DeKalb County, there are 20+ gems that many communities feel just as strongly about.”
Feedback solicited from stakeholders
DCSD officials said that all feedback collected during the first phase will be reviewed and utilized to refine scenarios. The community feedback phase will run from February to May, and parents, students, educators, and community members are invited to take the survey. The district will then return to the community for additional engagement before any recommendations are brought forward to the board in late 2026.
There will be no changes to the schools in the 2026-27 school year. Triscilla Weaver, DCSD chief of access and opportunity, said the scenarios presented are “tools for dialogue,” not final decisions.
“Before anything moves forward, we must understand how these possibilities intersect with people’s daily lives, such as what families value about their school communities and what staff need to thrive,” Weaver said in a statement.
Declining enrollment
The school system currently has about 90,000 students enrolled, which is a decline of about 20,000 students since its peak enrollment. Birth rates, affordable housing, and school choice, such as private and homeschooling, have had an impact on the declining school enrollment. Maintaining buildings and stretching staff and resources across those buildings has become burdensome for the district.
“Declining enrollment is not just a number on a graph; it impacts how we support student success, staff schools, and maintain buildings,” Norman C. Sauce, DeKalb County’s interim superintendent, said. “We owe it to our community to be transparent about the challenges we face and to listen carefully before charting a path forward. This phase is about hearing directly from our stakeholders.”
How to participate
Community members are encouraged to:
- Review the scenarios and provide feedback by participating in the district’s survey;
- Attend upcoming community and school-based SAP scenario feedback meetings;
- Stay informed about all things SAP at the district’s SAP website. Meeting dates, materials, and feedback tools will be updated regularly on the SAP website.
The City of Tucker has invited SAP committee members to share more details about the plan during a March work session at city hall.
“While the city does not have direct authority over the school district, we value the relationship between the two governments,” read a statement from the city. “To expand DCSD’s outreach and to provide more information to our community, we have invited representatives from DCSD’s staff leading the SAP committee to present to city council on March 23, 2026 at our work session.”