City Schools of Decatur backs off of K-2 school closure plan … for now

Those plans were delayed after community members objected to the short timeline and what they said was poor communication from the district.

Officials have cited low enrollment as a main reason for considering a school closure. To qualify for state capital outlay funds, elementary schools have to enroll at least 200 students. School district data show three of the five K-2 schools — Clairemont, Glennwood and Westchester — have been below that threshold for the past few years.

Through community meetings and personal communication with City Schools of Decatur officials, many parents have said they moved to Decatur for small schools and a walkable, tight-knit community.

Clairemont parent Abigail Ruth said the district made the right call by delaying a decision for a few years. She said the “rushed timeline” for closing a K-2 school didn’t give families a chance to provide input.

“It caused a lot of mistrust for a lot of families,” she said. “I think that (tabling the closure) is the right decision, and I think most people are very happy about it. It kind of gives us a hopeful posture going forward, because now we can make sure that when we come back to this (issue), we can come in with maybe more trust that has been built over the next few years.”

Westchester parent Jessica Cino agrees slowing down is the right move. Cino said the district needs to be transparent about what she calls its recent “obsession” with enrollment numbers.

“That’s never really been what the Decatur neighborhood schools have been about. So … that would be a huge paradigm shift,” she said.

Sulton’s email pledges officials will seek feedback as they plan for the next several years.

“Pausing this work will allow our Superintendent to integrate K–2 utilization considerations into the district’s next five-year strategic planning process and ensure a transparent approach with meaningful public input,” she said.

Cino is optimistic that the board will listen, seeing Thursday’s decision as a response to community feedback.

“There is a whole community of people willing, ready to work with this board,” she said. “I commend them for doing the right thing on schools and (would urge them) just to keep the transparency and the conversation going and not be afraid to answer hard questions.”