DeKalb Schools Propose Converting Three Elementary Sites to Fix 178% Overcrowding

DeKalb County School District leaders released a revised redistricting plan on Wednesday to address severe capacity shortages in northern neighborhoods. The proposal offers four distinct configurations for the Cross Keys High School cluster, which currently lacks a dedicated middle school.

The district is grappling with extreme overcrowding at existing campuses. Ashford Park Elementary School in Brookhaven is operating at 178 percent of its capacity. The school currently uses portable classroom trailers to accommodate the student volume.

Of the four options presented, one maintains the status quo with no new middle school for the cluster. The other three propose converting an existing elementary facility into a middle school. Jennifer Caracciolo, deputy chief communications officer for DeKalb County Schools, identified Woodward, Dresden, and John Lewis elementary schools as the potential sites for conversion. Caracciolo noted that converting Woodward Elementary would trigger additional moves, shifting the high achiever's magnet program from Chamblee Middle School to Henderson Middle School and from Chamblee High School to Cross Keys High School.

This is the third proposal from district officials. Earlier drafts suggested closing more than two dozen schools, a plan that faced heavy pushback from parents and was subsequently paused. If the board adopts the current boundary changes, elementary and middle school shifts would take effect in the fall of 2027. High school adjustments would not begin before 2029. Students entering the 5th, 8th, 11th, and 12th grades would have the option to remain at their current schools if rezoned.

Final cost projections and funding sources for the facility conversions have not yet been released. School board members have not set a date for a final vote on which option to select. The district is currently in the third phase of community engagement, which includes an online survey and virtual focus groups.

In-person public feedback forums are scheduled for Druid Hills Middle School at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 4, and Dunwoody High School at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 5. A fourth and final round of engagement sessions is slated for December. After that, the district will submit the final plan to the school board for a vote before addressing redistricting for underutilized schools.