The parent group, Save Dunwoody Schools will be meeting at the Dunwoody Public Library this Saturday, July 19th, at 1:30pm.

The groups aim is to develop a practical solution to the problems created by the DeKalb School Board’s proposal to consolidate the 4th-5th grade students into the “New School” at Womack Road. We will endeavor to create a proposal which is not only achievable, but also one that is agreeable to the majority of parents of the children who attend the affected schools (i.e., Austin, Chesnut, Kinsgley and Vanderlyn). We hope that a cooperative and constructive approach with county officials will lead to a swift resolution of this matter, but we realize that we have to be prepared to take far more aggressive actions. In that regard, I encourage all of you to do the following:

• Identify attorneys who reside in our community who recognize the problems with the 4th-5th school concept;
• Identify additional organizations and/or e-mailing lists that can be added to the extensive list that I already have.

One of our challenges is that we – those of us who have taken the initiative to resolve this problem – have been maligned and our motives impugned by a few county officials and unknown members of the community. I can only assume that those who have instigated such negative commentary must be doing so out of desperation because their positions (in support of the 4th-5th school) can not be supported by data or logic.

The primary purpose of the next meeting (on July 19) is to review all available data that would be needed to conduct a proper redistricting, identify whatever additional data is needed, and develop a plan to obtain that data. Ideally, we will be able to develop a set of data that representatives from the four affected schools can accept as valid for planning purposes.

Be sure to encourage other interested residents to participate in our process.

Jeff Strode

Meeting Location:
Dunwoody Public Library
“Williams Room A”
5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd
Dunwoody, GA 30338