The Atlanta Board of Education swore in four board members at a Jan. 12 ceremony, before electing a new chair and vice chair to lead the city school system for a two-year term.
Three board members are newly elected: Tony Mitchell will represent District 2, Patreece Hutcherson will represent District 6 and Kaycee Brock holds an at-large seat. Re-elected board member Jennifer McDonald will continue to represent District 4.
Outgoing Board Chair and District 5 school board member Erika Mitchell introduced the new and reelected board members before the official pin ceremony and swearing-in.
“Being elected to the Atlanta Board of Education is a profound act of trust from the community,” Mitchell said. “Our residents choose their board representatives to represent their values.”
The trio of new board members all beat out opponents in the Dec. 2 runoff elections, following a competitive election season in November. Hutcherson beat out opponent and incumbent Tolton Pace, who was appointed to fill the seat after Eshé Collins left her seat to become an at-large Atlanta City Council member.
Meanwhile, establishment favorite candidate Tony Mitchell beat out APS parent and flight attendant Marlissa Crawford for the District 2 seat, filling the gap left by Aretta Baldon’s retirement.
Then, Kaycee Brock won the at-large Seat 8 against upstart progressive candidate Royce Mann. Brock is an experienced educator and consultant, and has proved another establishment favorite with endorsements from Mayor Andre Dickens and civil rights leader Andrew Young.
The three new board members will take their seats in the midst of some major Atlanta Public Schools changes. The Board of Education approves the roughly $1.84 billion budget, sets the property tax rate and decides what schools stay open — or get shuttered and converted.
Recently, APS announced plans to close or repurpose 16 schools in the district starting in 2027. It’s a controversial move to consolidate and convert several school buildings to community locales, but critics worry it will leave underserved neighborhoods without schools of their own.
But Mitchell also announced the school system achieved its highest graduation rate ever last year, with 90.48 percent of students leaving with diplomas. That surpasses the state graduation rate of 87.2 percent.
It’s the context each member was sworn into, as Fulton County Chief Magistrate Judge Cassandra Kirk told them they have “been chosen, [they] have been accepted, and are now accountable to lead.”
Each new board member affirmed their commitment to public education.
“It is clear that public education is under attack,” Hutcherson said. “As the new APS Board Member of District 6, I understand we have work to do, and we will do it together.”
She continued, “Education is a thankless job, but it is time for public educators to make policies for public education.”
After each board member was sworn in, the regular Atlanta Board of Education meeting began. The board elected At-Large seat 9 member Jessica D. Johnson as chair, and District 3 member Ken Zeff as vice chair. The chair and vice chair will serve two-year terms. “The Seligs made an incredible contribution by donating this property,” Bronfman said of the gift made in the mid-1990s. “There will be a new Jewish community hub wherever it may be. That was the original notion of the Selig family gift.”
While not getting specific, Bronfman said the new location could be next to the Temple on Peachtree or more in town. While the current property could still be an option, the current value of Midtown real estate could make it out of reach.
For Minkin, the Spring could be a project that could bridge divides.
“We live in a fractured society,” she said. “The Spring believes in a big tent community with a diverse group of people — generationally and geographically. A primary focus of the Spring is to be a place of connection and to be a bridge for the community in a beautiful, dynamic space.”
Note to readers:
Coincidentally, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival on Monday announced its line-up for 2026 that will take place from Feb. 18 to March 3 in theaters across metro Atlanta. A virtual cinema with selected films will take place from March 6 to March 15. To get a full schedule of the 2026 festival, click here.
