The Atlanta Board of Education has approved a comprehensive and controversial plan that will result in the closure or repurposing of 16 schools across the district. The decision, which came after a vote Wednesday night, sets in motion a multi-year overhaul scheduled to begin in 2027, aimed at addressing significant budget shortfalls and declining enrollment in many of the city's school buildings.
Key Takeaways
- The Atlanta Board of Education voted to approve the APS Forward 2040 plan, impacting 16 schools.
- Changes, including closures and repurposing, are set to begin in 2027.
- District officials cite under-enrolled buildings, rising costs, and a need to reallocate resources as the primary reasons.
- The plan was met with significant opposition from parents and community members who fear the negative impact on their neighborhoods.
District Cites Financial and Operational Pressures
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) officials presented the plan, known as APS Forward 2040, as a necessary step to ensure the long-term financial health and educational equity of the district. According to administrators, many school campuses are currently operating far below their student capacity, leading to inefficient use of resources.
This underutilization, they argue, strains the budget and limits the ability to provide a full range of academic programs, extracurricular activities, and specialized services to all students. By consolidating schools, the district aims to create more robust learning environments with better student-to-staff ratios.
By the Numbers
The district's community engagement process leading up to the vote included more than 50 public meetings, over 7,600 survey responses, and responses to more than 600 public messages. This extensive outreach was conducted between the spring of 2024 and the fall of 2025.
Additional goals outlined by the board include reducing a growing backlog of deferred maintenance costs on aging facilities and positioning APS to qualify for more state reimbursement on future construction projects. The consolidation is expected to free up funds that can be reinvested into academic programs and remaining schools.
Community Opposition and Neighborhood Concerns
The vote on Wednesday followed months of intense debate and vocal opposition from parents, teachers, and community leaders. Many residents attended public meetings and organized rallies to protest the proposed closures, arguing that the plan disproportionately affects predominantly Black communities and will remove critical neighborhood anchors.
Dunbar Elementary School in the Mechanicsville neighborhood was a focal point of the resistance. Residents described the school as a vital community hub, providing stability and support for families beyond just education. They expressed fears that its closure would destabilize the neighborhood.
Opponents repeatedly voiced concerns that closing neighborhood schools would create transportation burdens for families, disrupt established student-teacher relationships, and negatively impact local property values and community cohesion.
Despite the pushback, the board ultimately moved forward with the plan, stating that the difficult decisions were unavoidable given the district's financial projections and shifting demographics.
The Path Forward: A Multi-Year Transition
With the approval of APS Forward 2040, the district now enters a lengthy transition period. The changes will not take effect immediately, allowing time for extensive planning and community involvement in the next phases.
The first major step involves redrawing school attendance zones, a process that will reassign thousands of students to new schools. District officials have committed to continued community engagement as these new boundaries are developed. Planning for the 2027-2028 attendance zones is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2026, with a board vote expected that fall.
What is SPLOST?
A key part of the district's long-term funding strategy is the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). APS will present a draft plan for SPLOST 2027 to the board next spring. If approved by the board in June 2026, the referendum will be placed on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide. These funds are critical for school construction and renovations.
Impacted Schools
The plan involves a mix of complete closures, consolidations, and repurposing of buildings. The following schools are on the list approved by the board:
- Cleveland Elementary School (closing)
- Continental Colony Elementary School (closing and repurposed)
- Dunbar Elementary School (closing and repurposed)
- F. L. Stanton Elementary School (closing and repurposed)
- Perkerson Elementary School (closing and merged)
- Peyton Forest Elementary School (closing and repurposed)
- Finch Elementary School (closing and merged)
- Jackson Primary Elementary School (closing and consolidated)
- Douglass High School 9th Grade Campus (closing and consolidated)
- KIPP Soul Primary (repurposed)
- KIPP Soul Academy (repurposed)
- Scott Elementary School (repurposed and consolidated)
- Toomer Elementary School Annex (repurposed and closed)
- Sylvan Middle School (repurposed to an elementary school)
- Usher Collier Elementary School (repurposed and consolidated)
- Smith Intermediate Elementary School (repurposed and consolidated)
The transition will also involve reassigning staff and consolidating various academic programs. Officials have stated they will work with affected employees to find new positions within the district where possible. The coming months will be critical as APS leadership begins to implement the specifics of this sweeping overhaul of Atlanta's public school landscape.