APS Redistricting: Inman Park Neighborhood Association Plans Response

Inman Park Neighborhood Association members and other concerned parties met on Dec. 7 at Inman Park United Methodist Church to create a series of clearly-defined requests regarding Atlanta Public Schools redistricting.

The group met to hash out what their responses should be to the demographic survey that is currently available online at this link. The survey closes on Dec. 16. These survey answers will help the demographers craft the second round of proposals.

Before attempting to create their goals, Regina Brewer, IPNA president, covered the four proposed plans and how they would specifically impact the SRT-3 region so that everyone would be on the same page. More detailed information on each of the four proposals is available . Patch has also provided of redistricting plans and covered specific issues, such as crowded area schools, .

Alex Kaufman, Mary Lin Elementary PTA president, encouraged residents to be as detailed as possible when filling out their surveys. The four proposals did not include things such as the eventual presence of the BeltLine, concentrating only on costs and school capacity. Survey results will help add in these other important details.

One stated goal was to think about the bigger area, including Morningside Elementary, and the historical links between school populations who have always attended schools together.

"It's not just the building, it's who's in the building," Brewer said.

Another was to acknowledge that Inman Middle School, which is already operating over capacity, cannot serve the community's needs by itself. However, the group felt that a future middle school proposed to help alleviate Inman's problem is too far away from the area to be ideal.

Brewer suggested that people think outside the box, not necessarily just accepting any of the four proposals but instead providing their own original suggestions.

One idea was to consider more split-grade schools like in the City of Decatur, which has an academy for fourth- and fifth-graders only, or like Atlanta's North Atlanta Freshman Academy. Special sixth-grade academies were also suggested, particularly to help Inman Middle. These kinds of schools are commonly used in other densely-populated cities like Chicago.

The group also wants APS to consider their budget allocations, especially with the renewal of SPLOST, although the system does have a $65 million budget shortfall.

"Thank you," Brewer said about the SPLOST vote. "That does give [APS] additional money towards purchasing land." These purchases could become necessary if split-grade schools are used in the next round of proposals.

The Dec. 16 deadline for feedback was a sticking point, as it felt too rushed to allow for full exploration of the issues, especially with other neighborhood groups. However, Brewer said that this deadline is strict, so residents must respond anyway.

The group also felt a lack of confidence in the demographers' data because some of the proposals had errors of omission and none of them included studies of important area-specific things like traffic and walkability. A suggestion was that this data could be improved through focus groups of residents working together with the demographers.

Brewer reminded attendees of how the Inman Park area and surrounding neighborhoods have united in the past for the betterment of the community, including the creation of Freedom Park. The Candler Park Neighborhood Organization recently wrote an official position paper detailing their views on the redistricting surveys and other groups are also creating their specific plans.

“There is nothing that these neighborhoods together can’t accomplish,” she said. “We can do anything. We’re highly intelligent, we’re highly motivated, we love our children, we love our community and that’s what makes us so special.”

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