DeKalb County School District

DeKalb County School District
Type and location
Type	Suburban/Urban Public
Grades	PK-12
Established	1873
Region	DeKalb County, Georgia
District information
Superintendent	Mike Thurmond
Accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Schools	83 Elementary schools 20 Middle schools 22 High schools 18 centers
Students and staff
Students	49,142 Elementary school 22,647 Middle school 29,290 High school 100,000 total
Teachers	8,500 (of these, 4,600 are regular education teachers)
Staff	13,285 (non-teaching)
Student-teacher ratio	23 to 1
Other information
Website	www.dekalb.k12.ga.us

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is a school district headquartered at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States.^[1] DCSD operates public schools in areas of DeKalb County that are not within the city limits of Atlanta and Decatur.

As of 2013, the District Superintendent was Michael Thurmond.^[2] The system educates nearly 100,000 students at 143 schools with 13,285 full-time employees. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1. In 2005 the school system graduated over 5,000 students from high school. Of those students, 7.8% received a dual diploma, 79.4% received a college prep diploma and 12.8% received a vocational diploma. After graduation, 62% were eligible for Hope Scholarships. In 2011, the school system graduated 6,130 students.^[3]

School Board members

Current School Board members include:

• District 1 - Mr. John W. Coleman
• District 2 - Mr. Marshall Orson^[4]
• District 3 - Mr. Michael A. Erwin
• District 4 - Mr. James L. McMahan (Vice Chair)
• District 5 - Mr. David Campbell
• District 6 - Dr. Melvin Johnson (Chair)
• District 7 - Dr. Joyce A. Morley
• District 8 - Ms. Karen W. Carter
• District 9 - Mr. Thaddeus Mayfield^[5]

History

Accreditation

On December 17, 2012, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools announced that it had downgraded the DeKalb County School District's status from "on advisement" to "on probation" and warned the school system that the loss of their accreditation was "imminent."^[6]

On January 21, 2014, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools announced that it had upgraded the DeKalb County School District's status from "probation" to "accredited warned" which is below full accreditation status.^[7]

Indictment

Former DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Crawford Lewis was indicted in 2012, along with former DeKalb County Schools Chief Operating Officer Pat Pope, and others, on criminal charges related to a school construction scandal. The indictment listed four counts of racketeering, as well as theft by taking and bribery.^[8]

Shooting and hostage situation

On August 20, 2013, a shooting and hostage situation occurred at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy, an elementary school in the District. A man with an AK-47 entered the school's front office and barricaded himself there. He fired six shots at approaching police officers outside, who returned fire. Nobody was injured. The school's students were evacuated. Antoinette Tuff, a school bookkeeper, later received a call from President Obama praising her for her courage while talking to the shooter; police credited her calmness and kindness toward him with convincing him to surrender without shooting anyone.^{[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]}

Schools and centers

Elementary schools

Zoned

Optional

• Oakcliff Traditional Theme School (Unincorporated)

Middle schools

Zoned

High schools

Zoned

Alternative

• DeKalb School of the Arts (Unincorporated)
• Elizabeth Andrews High School (Unincorporated)^[33]

Centers

Alternative

Partnerships

• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
• DeKalb Truancy School
• Father Flanagan Girls and Boys Town
• Gateway to College Academy (Located on Georgia Perimeter College's Clarkston Campus)

Former schools

Elementary schools

• Atherton Elementary (1964-2011)
• Forrest Hills Elementary School, 1954-2004 (The Museum School 2012-current)
• Glen Haven Elementary (1943-2011)
• Gresham Park Elementary (1958-2011)
• Heritage Elementary School, 1968-19?? ( Heritage School ????-2010, Globe Academy Charter 2013-current)
• Hooper Alexander Elementary School, 1935-2008 (Building intact)
• Kittredge Elementary School 1958-1974 (4th-6th grades only 1969-74),( Open campus West High school 1975-1988, Kittredge Magnet School 1989-2008, International Student Center 2008-current)
• Leslie J. Steele Elementary School, 1951-2006 ( Demolished and site Reconstructed as Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy 2008)
• Margaret Harris Elementary School, 1967-1988 (currently Margaret Harris Comprehensive School, since ????)
• Medlock Elementary School, 1951-2011 ( The International School private academy, ten year lease for the building 2012-current)
• Nancy Creek Elementary School, 1970-2008 ( Kittredge Magnet School 2008-current)
• Rehoboth Elementary School, 1963-1979(Dekalb Schools employee Training and Records center 1980-1998,The William Bradley Bryant Center,1999-current)
• Robert Shaw Elementary School, 1955-1969 (Robert Shaw student Diagnostic Testing and Instructional center 1971-1997 Robert Shaw Theme School 1998-current)
• Shallowford Elementary School, 1968-1997 (Chamblee Middle School from 1997-2006, demolished in July 2014)^[36]
• Sky Haven Elementary (1955-2011)(property held/maintained for school system possible future reuse)
• Tilson Elementary (1958-2008)
• Tucker Elementary School, 1955-1983 ( Tucker Recreation Center,1985-current)
• W.D. Thomson Elementary School, 1939-1975 (demolished 1976)
• Wesley Chapel Elementary School, 1953-1979( currently Dekalb Transition Academy, since 19??)
• Jim Cherry Elementary School 1949-1975(North Dekalb Mental Health Center,1976-1988,Seigakuin International Japanese School 1990-2003,PATH Academy charter School 2005-current)
• Northwoods Elementary School 1954-1984(Yeshivah Hebrew Orthodox High School 1986-current)
• Skyland Elementary School 1948-1988.( Georgia Dept. of Human Resources,center for Vital Records 1991-current)
• Brookhaven Elementary School 1948-1975.(DeKalb Public Library,North Druid Hills branch Annex 1976-1985,Brookhaven Boys and Girls Club 1985-current)

Middle schools

• Avondale Middle School (Unincorporated, adjacent to the city of Avondale Estates) 2000-2011 (Currently housing Fernbank Elementary School 2013–present)

High schools

• Avondale High School (Unincorporated - adjacent to City of Avondale Estates) 1955-2011^[37]
• Briarcliff High School, 1962-1987 ( 1988-2008 Dekalb School of the Arts and Open Campus High School)
• Bruce Street High School, 1938-1968
• Hamilton High School, 1924-1969 (currently Hamilton Recreation Center)
• Henderson High School 1970-1996 ( currently Henderson Middle School)
• Peachtree High School, 1968-1988 ( Demolished,site Reconstructed as Peachtree Charter Middle School 19??)
• Shamrock High School, 1967-1996 (Shamrock Middle School 1996-2011, name change to Druid Hills Middle School 2011-current)

District facilities

• Administrative and Instructional Complex (unincorporated area near Stone Mountain) —The building complex was originally built as a American Fare. After American Fare closed the store, DeKalb County School District bought the property. The School District then renovated the original building, converting commercial spaces into educational and office spaces. The building served for a short time as the School District's alternative high school, before officially becoming the Administrative and Instructional Complex.

• The East DeKalb Campus (unincorporated area near Stone Mountain)
• The Sam Moss Service Center (unincorporated area near Tucker)
• The William Bradley Bryant Center (WBBC) (unincorporated area near Decatur)^[38]

Athletics

The District offers 17 athletic programs and earned 253 state championships dating back to 1938; the majority of the titles came from track and field and wrestling. The county provides five athletic stadiums that include:

Stadium	Year Constructed	Seating Capacity	Location	Additional Information
Adams Stadium	1962	6,500 (One side of field)	Unincorporated - adjacent to the old Briarcliff High School Building
Avondale Stadium	1958	6,500 (One side of field)	Unincorporated - adjacent to City of Avondale Estates
James R. Hallford Stadium	1968	15,600 (Both sides of field)	Unincorporated - adjacent to City of Clarkston on the Clarkston Campus of Georgia Perimeter College	Formerly named Memorial Stadium
North DeKalb Stadium	1962	6,500 (One side of field)	Within the city limits of Chamblee
Panthersville Stadium	1968	8,500	Unincorporated - adjacent to the Georgia Perimeter College Decatur Campus

See also

• Fernbank Science Center

References

External links

• DeKalb County School System website

Coordinates: 33°49′57″N 84°11′43″W / 33.83250°N 84.19528°W / 33.83250; -84.19528