On Tuesday July 7th, Mayor Ken Wright & I wanted to be prepared for a meeting with Pat Pope of the DeKalb County School System therefore we stopped by the new 4th & 5th grade Dunwoody Elementary School to check on the progress. This video was shot as an after thought but figured I would share it to show you the progress being made.
We are told that the new school will be opening on time and that there will be a dedication and open house of the school on August 8th.
Guess they are planning to conver this to a 'regular' elementary school in the future, if they put KINDERGARTEN classrooms in a 4th-5th Grade Academy.
ReplyDeleteWonder how many years until they announce that the school will convert to traditional elementary format.
More proof that Crawford Lewis runs roughshod over Dunwoody school zone.
I believe the school system was always "up front" about the kindergarten rooms and the future possibility that the school could become a traditional K-5.
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteThanks for shooting the video and passing it along. I've placed it on my website www.dunwoodyusa.org (with proper attribution, of course) and my neighbors appreciate it as well!
FYI I worked in the TV business for 20 years, I'd love to help you out with your video photography skills!!! LOL
I think the parents with children here that use this school should give a resounding THANK YOU to all the tax payers of Dekalb, especially those that do not have children, yet pay a tax property line item for schools.
ReplyDeleteI know Dunwoody has studied the street traffic and slope of the hill... so I am concerned the city currently has no plans to install a stop sign or traffic light in front of the school. Sometimes a study can be trumped by common sense.
ReplyDeleteTraffic studies out trump common sense for legal reasons. Stop signs and traffic lights are based on traffic volume and not safety.
ReplyDeleteHeyward is correct that traffic flow decisions are based on studies - except when a child is run over. Then, a stop sign will be put up within a week!
ReplyDeleteYes, they did say that the new facility would include K classrooms.
ReplyDeleteBut my point is, they all along wanted to build a "regular" elementary school at that site.
And basically, they have. Albeit one with a nice gym and other amenities not normally found at elementary school buildings.
Given
1/the amount of angst in the community about building at this site vs. renovation & use of the facility that is vacant on Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd,
2/possibility that parents from the Hightower Elementary area could very easily make a claim for unequal education, and
3/the transportation logistics that many families will abhor,
I think it will not be very many years before the facility is converted to the traditional K-5 format.
And that means that Dr. Lewis and his minions get what they wanted all along - an elementary school, at that site.
Remember that the Kingsley students will not move into Dunwoody ES either. I think this negates the unequal education argument for the Hightower students. BTW, a new building does not necessarily equote to a better education.
ReplyDeleteIt is my just my humble opinion that DCSS had 2 choices here:
1. Redistrict and deal with the Dunwoody parent anger and thread of lawsuits, or,
2. Combine 3 schools into one, which, while certain Dunwoody parents would scream and yell, most Dunwoody parents would accep the 4/5 "concept".
IMHO, #2 would cause less headaches for DCSS. When DCSS feels they can redistrict without the nastiness that always accompanies any talk of redistricting within Dunwoody, then I think you will see Dunwoody ES become a traditional ES.
And yuck, the old Chamblee MS site is nasty inside and outside. I certainly would not want my children to attend that school.
PTO Email List
ReplyDeleteYou can sign up to receive emails from Dunwoody Elementary School on the school website.
Link to PTO email sign up: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001SPMbSMElFv4QgZmhXPhkzg%3D%3D
Bus Schedules
According Susan Stanton, the District Transportation Manager, bus schedules for the new school will be posted on the Dekalb County Schools website by July 23.
Link to bus schedules: http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/~transportation/schools.asp