The APS Redistricting Debate: Candler Park Neighborhood Organization's Response To The Two Options

Candler  Park  would  like  to  thank  the  Atlanta  Board  of  Education,  Atlanta  Public  Schools  and   Bleakly  demographers  for  their  continued  efforts  during  the  rezoning  process.  We  understand   that  this  is  a  difficult  issue  for  all  of  the  city’s  neighborhoods,  and  appreciate  APS’  desire  to   achieve  the  best  outcome  for  the  greatest  number  of  children.

Our  community  is  committed  to  APS  and  has  demonstrated  that  commitment  by  sending  the   vast  majority  of  our  children  to  our  public  schools.  We  ask  that  APS  support  us  by  keeping   Mary  Lin  K-­‐5,  delivering  the  long-­‐promised  Mary  Lin  expansion  and  keeping  our   students  in  the  Inman-­‐Grady  cluster.

The  proposal  presented  in  Option  A  best  supports  the  needs  of  the  Candler  Park  community   for  the  following  reasons:

1)  Mary  Lin  needs  its  long-­‐promised  renovation  and  expansion.

• This  project  was  scheduled  to  occur  long  before  this  redistricting  effort  began.
• Mary  Lin  was  last  renovated  in  1994  –  almost  twenty  years  ago.
• Our  entire  4th  and  5th  grades  are  in  trailers,  we  have  outgrown  the  space  and  the   building  is  in  disrepair.
• Previous  plans  addressed  not  only  over-­‐crowding,  but  also  long-­‐time  deficiencies   involving  the  media  center,  lunchroom,  front  office  and  school  security.
• Candler  Park  voters  went  to  the  ballot  box  twice  to  support  SPLOST,  both  times  with   the  assurance  that  Mary  Lin  was  slated  to  get  its  renovation.
• SPLOST  III  included  appropriations  for  Mary  Lin,  which  were  moved  to  SPLOST  IV.
• For  years  we  have  been  told  the  project  was  merely  delayed,  and  will  still  take  place.
• Out  of  APS’  58  active  elementary  schools,  only  seven  –  including  Mary  Lin  –  have  never   received  SPLOST  funding.
• We  ask  that  APS  honor  its  commitment  and  live  up  to  its  campaign  theme  for  the   SPLOST  referendum:  “Promises  Made,  Promises  Kept.”  Option  A  keeps  APS’   commitment;  Option  B  does  not. Let’s  make  the  Mary  Lin  project  a  “promise  kept.”    

2)  APS  should  invest  in  success.

• Mary  Lin  is  one  of  the  top-­‐performing  schools  in  the  city  and  is  in  the  top  10%  of   elementary  schools  statewide.
• We  have  made  a  firm  commitment  to  APS.  A  full  96%  of  our  elementary-­‐age  kids   attend  Mary  Lin  –  not  charter  schools,  private  schools,  or  schools  in  other  zones.
• Candler  Park  parents  roll  up  their  sleeves  every  day  to  maintain  the  environment  of   excellence  at  our  schools.
• The  K-­‐5  model  is  serving  our  children  well  when  it  comes  to  instructional  continuity,  a   nurturing  environment,  parental  involvement  and  identifying  special  needs.
• We  believe  that  whenever  possible,  schools  and  communities  should  be  kept  intact;   this  goes  for  all  schools  and  communities,  not  just  ours.
• Mary  Lin  is  a  cornerstone  of  our  community  and  a  source  of  community  pride,  and  we   have  invested  a  great  deal  of  sweat  equity  into  it.

3)  Our  youngest  children  should  stay  in  our  neighborhood  to  promote  community,   safety  and  walkability.

• We  care  deeply  about  safe,  walkable  access  for  our  youngest  children  because  we  have   it  today  and  have  seen  how  well  it  works.
• We  value  the  opportunity  to  speak  with  our  children’s  teachers  and  find  out  how  we   can  help.  This  is  one  way  we  have  built  a  strong  school  support  network.
• For  the  2010  Walk  To  School  Day,  the  Georgia  Transportation  Commissioner  came  to   Mary  Lin  to  showcase  it  as  a  wonderful,  walkable  school.
• Parents  of  multiple  young  children  would  find  it  difficult  to  shuttle  between  two   facilities  and  remain  as  deeply  engaged  in  both  schools.
• The  CSX/MARTA/DeKalb  Avenue  corridor  is  a  major  barrier  and  high-­‐speed  commuter   thoroughfare.  It  has  a  reversible  “suicide  lane”  that  causes  many  accidents  and   pedestrian  hazards.  It  does  not  allow  for  safe,  walkable  access  to  school.
• There  are  very  few  access  points  across  DeKalb  Avenue,  which  will  cause  significant   traffic  issues.  This  will  be  exacerbated  by  the  several  hundred  new  housing  units  going   into  Edgewood  as  part  of  the  Comprehensive  Development  Plan,  which  will  use  the   same  crossing  point  used  in  the  proposed  split  grade  model.

4)  Mary  Lin  must  remain  in  the  Inman  –  Grady  cluster  with  our  neighboring   communities.

• As  part  of  the  Inman  and  Grady  communities,  we  have  a  30-­‐year  history  of  working   together  and  maintaining  an  environment  of  excellence.
• Mary  Lin  has  played  a  fundamental  role  in  helping  to  build  and  maintain  Inman  and   Grady’s  success.
• APS  should  make  certain  that  administrative  transfers  are  only  allowed  at  schools  with   space  for  all  in-­‐zone  students.
• SPLOST  dollars  should  be  spent  where  there  is  current  need,  not  just  anticipated  need.
• If  additional  capacity  is  needed  at  Inman  or  Grady,  APS  should  consider  creative   solutions  such  as  an  Inman  annex  and/or  alternate  grade  configurations  (e.g.,  a  6,  5/6   or  8  academy).

Thank  you  for  your  consideration  and  support.

Jay  Sandhaus

President,  Candler  Park  Neighborhood  Organization