Fulton BOE: Atlanta Annexation Could 'Displace' More Than 1,500 Students

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At its meeting on Thursday, the Fulton County School Board heard a presentation about the potential impact if parts of unincorporated Fulton County are annexed into the city of Atlanta.

More than 1,500 students from Randolph Elementary School, Sandtown Middle School and Westlake High School attendance areas could be “displaced” if efforts are successful, the school system said in its press release.

Additionally, the school system also could lose more than $54 million in capital assets if the school buildings are annexed into the city.

The district also could incur an estimated $2.9 million in expenses in attempting to accommodate these students on existing campuses in more than 90 portable classrooms.

The Fulton County School Board previously passed two resolutions asking the city of Atlanta to suspend the annexation process until the courts rule on the city’s own lawsuit seeking clarification of what would happen to the schools if the area is annexed.

On Thursday, the board announced that it had secured a third-party attorney to intervene “to protect the best interests of students and the district’s facilities,” the system said.

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