Sandy Springs parents who formed a committee last fall to save Spalding Drive Elementary are not giving up their fight. They have taken steps to form a charter school.
Separately, the parents are consulting an attorney on the possibility of obtaining a temporary restraining order against Fulton County Schools to pause the process for the permanent closure of Spalding.
The months-long pleas from parents and elected officials opposing the closure of Spalding Drive Elementary in Sandy Springs and Parklane Elementary in East Point did not sway a majority of board members on Thursday night.
Following a final public hearing, the board voted 4-3 to close both schools. The closures are part of a redistricting process. Board members Kristin McCabe, Kimberly Dove, Lillie Pozatek, and Sara Gillespie voted in favor. Dr. Michelle Morance, Franchesca Warren and Katie Gregory voted in opposition.
“We asked the board to ‘use us, not lose us,’ and these four board members thought we were bluffing,” said Raymond Grote, whose two daughters attend Spalding Drive Elementary. “In the end, they will learn the hard way that ignoring their constituents will have consequences in their attendance rolls and at the ballot box. Ultimately the district will suffer as parents pull their children out to seek alternative schooling options.”
Grote said that the committee of parents recently filed a letter of intent for a new charter school with the Georgia Department of Education.
The process could take months to a year. Grote said that after the school board vote, he handed an offer letter to Superintendent Mike Looney to lease the Spalding Drive school building.
During previous school board meetings, parents have pushed back on the plans for closure, saying they believe enrollment is increasing at both Spalding and Parklane, and they have accused the school board of misleading the public in calculating costs.
Fulton County Schools announced the possible closures in September, citing aging buildings, decreasing enrollment and the cost of operations. The school board says the district will save $2 million per closure of both Parklane and Spalding.
“I believe that all of our schools from north to south have the potential to be successful,” said McCabe, who is board president, during the meeting. “Those schools will be successful if you give them a chance and you remain engaged.”
Spalding students have higher performance results than some of the other schools students will be transferred to, officials say.
At Parklane, many students’ families see the school as a comforting resource where 20 percent of students have special needs. Many parents say they walk their children to school and moved to the community because of the quality of Parklane.
“I hear the concerns [from the community]… and that Parklane has been a safe space and that it’s really important,” said Morancie before the vote. “And when you find a place for special needs kids, and they thrive, and it’s taken away, it’s really difficult.”
Morancie and Warren called on the school district to become more innovative going forward and said they expect other schools will present similar dilemmas as Parklane and Spalding.
“…And every time it comes up, it’s going to be an emotional drain on the community and staff and everybody,” Morancie added.
Morancie and Warren’s comments echoed the sentiments of numerous elected officials who have appeared at board meetings, stating that the district is operating under an old policy and rushing the closing of the two schools.
“I am developing a bit of frustration with institutions that are unwilling to be innovative or change the status quo or even question the status quo,” Sandy Springs Councilwoman Melody Kelley told SaportaReport. “I really would like to see something better out of our public institutions. I would like a more thoughtful approach to dealing with the issues that we have as a society and as a community.”
Sandy Springs Councilman Andy Bauman said there was a concern that the process had already been decided after it had been announced by the school district last fall.
“I really hoped that they would not have [approved the closures] …It wasn’t the right decision,” Bauman said. “…I think this was a rushed and flawed process based on a flawed policy.
Bauman, who is from White Plains, N.Y., said he changed public schools between second and third grade and still recalls the trauma that he felt. He shared on social media that the board’s vote in approval was “heartbreaking to witness” after the efforts of students and families.
If Spalding parents are successful in forming a charter school, it will be an opportunity for Fulton County Schools to rebuild its relationship with parents, Grote said. The school would be a part of the school district but not one that is directly controlled by it.
“Last night, the board mentioned that education is a partnership between the system and parents,” Grote said on Friday. “They took away one of the ways that we can partner by closing our school. What we are looking forward to… is partnering with them by forming the charter school in Sandy Springs.”
He continued: “And very genuinely, it would be a step toward rebuilding the bridge that they burned last night.”
The remarks made by Morancie and Warren were in line with those of many elected officials who had attended board sessions.
Such a great and wonderful post so keep doing your work best thank!
Charter school formation as a backup plan while pursuing legal action is smart — it keeps the community’s options open while the process plays out. The restraining order angle is a bold move.
This post is solid, learned a lot from it.
Nice post, thanks for sharing.
The parents’ dual strategy—pursuing legal action while forming a charter school—shows real determination to preserve what works for their community. It’s telling that Spalding students outperform peers at receiving schools, and Parklane serves 20% special needs students who thrive there. The board’s cost-saving argument rings hollow when you factor in the human cost of uprooting established communities. Morancie’s point about this becoming a recurring emotional drain is spot-on; the district needs to rethink its approach rather than repeat this cycle.
They’re pushing a charter after filing that letter of intent, good for them I guess. Not sure how that’ll work if they try to lease the building while the board’s already voted to close it.
The board really thought these parents would just roll over. Can’t wait to see if that charter school actually gains any traction.
Classic school board move to ignore parents and then act surprised when everyone jumps ship. Good luck getting that charter off the ground, though it’s honestly the only play left.
Suing the district is a bold move, but honestly the board completely ignored the enrollment numbers so they kind of had it coming. Good luck getting that charter approved though, the bureaucracy is usually a nightmare.