DeKalb County School District

DeKalb County School District
Location
DeKalb County, Georgia
District information
Type	Suburban/urban public
Grades	PK-12
Established	1873
Superintendent	Dr. R. Stephen Green
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 101,079 total
Teachers	8,500 (4,600 of whom 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 July 1, 2015, the District Superintendent was Dr. R. Stephen Green.^[2] The system educates more than 101,000 students at 137 schools with more than 14,000 full-time employees and 6,000 teachers. 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:

• District 1 - Stan Jester^[4]
• District 2 - Marshall Orson^[5]
• District 3 - Michael A. Erwin
• District 4 - James L. McMahan (Vice Chair)
• District 5 - Vickie Turner
• District 6 - Dr. Melvin Johnson (Chair)
• District 7 - Dr. Joyce A. Morley
• District 8 - Board super district eliminated as of 1/1/2015
• District 9 - Board super district eliminated as of 1/1/2015

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] The DeKalb County School District is now fully accredited.

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. He fired six shots at approaching police officers outside, who returned fire. No one 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

• DeKalb Elementary School of the Arts (2002)
• Oakcliff Traditional Theme School (unincorporated)
• Oakcliff Traditional Theme School (as of 1993, formerly Oakcliff Elementary) (1964)^[42]

Middle schools

Zoned

High schools

Zoned

Optional

• Arabia Mountain High School
• DeKalb School of the Arts (unincorporated)
• Elizabeth Andrews High School (unincorporated)^[74]

Centers

Alternative

Partnerships

• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
• DeKalb Truancy School^[89]
• Father Flanagan Girls and Boys Town^[90]
• Gateway to College Academy^[91] (located on Georgia Perimeter College's Clarkston campus)

Former schools

Elementary schools

• Atherton Elementary (1964-2011)
• Brookhaven Elementary School 1948-1975 (DeKalb Public Library, North Druid Hills branch annex 1976-1985, Brookhaven Boys' and Girls' Club 1985-current)
• 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)
• Forrest Hills Elementary School, 1954-2004 (The Museum School 2012-current)
• Glen Haven Elementary (1943-2011)
• Gresham Park Elementary (1958-2011)
• Margaret Harris Elementary School, 1967-1988 (currently Margaret Harris Comprehensive School)
• Heritage Elementary School, 1968-1999 (Heritage School 2000-2010, Globe Academy Charter 2013-current)
• Hooper Alexander Elementary School, 1935-2008 (building destroyed by fire January 2014)
• Kittredge Elementary School 1958-1975 (4th-7th grades only 1969-1974, special needs students K-7 1970-1975) (open campus West High school 1975-1988, Kittredge Magnet School 1989-2008, International Student Center 2008-current)
• Medlock Elementary School, 1951-2011 (The International School private academy, ten-year lease for the building 2012-current)
• Midway Elementary (1958-2015)
• Nancy Creek Elementary School, 1970-2008 (Kittredge Magnet School 2008-current)
• Northwoods Elementary School 1954-1984 (Yeshivah Hebrew Orthodox High School 1986-current)
• Oakcliff Elementary, 1964-1993 (Oakcliff Traditional Theme School, 1993-current) ^[92]
• Rehoboth Elementary School, 1963-1979 (Dekalb Schools employee training and records center 1980-1998, The William Bradley Bryant Center, 1999-current)
• Shallowford Elementary School, 1968-1997 (Chamblee Middle School 1997-2006, demolished in July 2014)^[93]
• Robert Shaw Elementary School, 1955-1969 (Robert Shaw student Diagnostic Testing and Instructional center 1970-1997, Robert Shaw Theme School 1998-current)
• Sky Haven Elementary (1955-2011) (property held/maintained for school system's possible future reuse (2011-2016), site demolished summer 2016)
• Skyland Elementary School 1948-1989 (Georgia Dept. of Human Resources, Center for Vital Records 1991-current)
• Leslie J. Steele Elementary School, 1951-2006 (demolished and site reconstructed as Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy 2008)
• W.D. Thomson Elementary School, 1939-1975 (demolished 1976)
• Tilson Elementary (1958-2008)
• Tucker Elementary School, 1955-1983 (Tucker Recreation Center, 1985-current)
• Wesley Chapel Elementary School, 1953-1979 (currently Dekalb Transition Academy, since 1990)

Middle schools

• Avondale Middle School^[94] (unincorporated, adjacent to the city of Avondale Estates), 2000-2011 (housed Fernbank Elementary School, 2013–2015)

High schools

• Avondale High School (unincorporated, adjacent to the city of Avondale Estates) 1955-2011^[95]
• Briarcliff High School, 1962-1987 ( 1988-2008 Dekalb School of the Arts and Open Campus High School)
• Bruce Street High School, 1938-1968
• John B. Gordon High School, 1959-1986
• Hamilton High School, 1924-1969 (currently Hamilton Recreation Center)
• Henderson High School 1970-1996 (currently Henderson Middle School)
• Peachtree High School, 1968-1988 (Peachtree Jr High School 1988-2002; demolished, site reconstructed as Peachtree Charter Middle School 2008)
• Sequoyah High School 1965-1988,(currently Sequoyah Middle School)
• Shamrock High School, 1967-1996 (Shamrock Middle School 1996-2011, name changed to Druid Hills Middle School 2011-current)
• Walker High School, 1966-1987

District facilities

• Administrative and Instructional Complex (unincorporated area near Stone Mountain) — The building complex was originally built as an American Fare. After this closed, DeKalb County School District bought the property. The district renovated the original building, converting commercial spaces into educational and office spaces. The building served for a short time as the district's alternative high school before becoming the Administrative and Instructional Complex.
• The William Bradley Bryant Center (unincorporated area near Decatur)^[96]
• East DeKalb Campus (unincorporated area near Stone Mountain)
• Sam Moss Service Center Warehouse, supply building, grounds and vehicle maintenance facilities (unincorporated area near Tucker)

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:

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