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A new open enrollment policy from Fulton County School allows transfers without a hardship. While the measure has drawn parent support, a potential redistricting of Sandy Springs elementary schools could lead to a partially frozen region, reinforcing preexisting issues of declining enrollment.
Affected parents cite irony in transfer rule restrictions
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Fulton County School District’s new transfer policy is turning heads, seen as a solution to declining enrollment but also an end unto itself for some.
The Change of School Assignment process, governed by School Board
“Policy JBCD,” took effect in August. It allows student transfers for any reason. Previously, students had to file with a hardship or through options made available by state law.
The catch? Schools in the region undergoing redistricting are barred from the benefit of wide-open tranfers, a frustrating stipulation for parents in
Sandy Springs who face the threatened closure of Spalding Drive Elementary School. The facility’s aging building is experiencing a dwindling student population.
Current plans are to consolidate Sandy Springs elementary students.
Parents also say the timeline is a crunch.
See SCHOOL, Page 12
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HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — After nearly two months of barricades, Atlanta Watershed Management crews began pipe and roadway repair Nov. 18 on a sinkhole at 4504 Lake Forrest Drive.
The sinkhole formed during Hurricane Helene Sept. 26 and affected traffic in north Atlanta and southern Sandy Springs. Work is anticipated to last about seven weeks and conclude by the second week of January.
When the sinkhole formed, Lake Forrest Drive neighbors grumbled about a days-long road closure.
It’s been two months, and the roadway is still closed to vehicles.
Since Sept. 27, Lake Forrest Drive has been closed from Chastain Park Drive to Barbara Lane. Georgia Department of Transportation data shows some 8,000 motorists travel the major collector road daily.
Metro Atlanta was almost entirely spared the brunt of the storm’s high winds, but many areas recorded heavy downpours.
Metro Atlanta rainfall reached nearly 12 inches from Tuesday, Sept. 24 to Friday, Sept. 27. The storm exacerbated flooding around Nancy and Peachtree creeks and left residents around Chastain Park with a traffic nightmare.
See SINKHOLE, Page 10
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Each week Appen Media requests police incident reports to inform residents about the safety of their community. Sandy Springs continues to withhold what it calls the “narrative reports.” It is the only city Appen Media covers that follows this practice, which goes against guidance from the Attorney General, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Sheriff’s Association, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia and Georgia Press Association. Appen Media will continue pursuing the release of more detailed documents that belong to the public in order to inform residents how safe – or unsafe – their city is.
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Residents of Sandy Springs are singling out dangerous intersections and roadway segments across the city in an effort to secure federal funds for improvement projects.
The city held two public meetings in mid-November to gather feedback on its Safety Action Plan, aimed at reducing roadway crashes.
Kristen Wescott, Sandy Springs Transportation and Traffic manager, said eliminating fatal and serious injury crashes may be challenging, but experts believe the city can reach the goal.
“Traffic crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States,” Wescott said. “We understand there are many factors that contribute to fatal injury crashes, and we need to work together to create safe streets.”
With the passing of the U.S. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, the Safe Streets for All discretionary program laid out $5 billion to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries nationwide.
The U.S. Department of Transportation says around $2 billion is still available.
Before Sandy Springs can secure implementation grants for projects, it must complete a Safety Action Plan. The idea is to have the plan come to the City Council before February or March for final approval, setting up the city to be eligible for another round of funding opportunities in the spring.
Last year, the DOT awarded a $360,000 planning and demonstration grant to the city for the Safety Action Plan. The city’s contribution was $90,000.
At an Oct. 1 work session, city staff went over proposed safety targets as a part of the Safety Action Plan.
The goals include adopting the goal of zero fatal and serious injury crashes on city-owned streets by 2050 and working with the Georgia Department of Transportation to reduce major crashes on state routes by 5 percent annually.
To achieve these goals, the city plans to allocate 50 percent of funding to projects that are proven countermeasures and 30 percent to underserved communities, while creating a timeline for improvements along Roswell Road (Ga. 9).
The federal grant allowed the city to contract with an engineering and design firm to finalize the plan, which is required before Sandy Springs can pursue implementation grants for projects.
Nithin Gomez, transportation engineer with consultants Gresham Smith, went over the analysis of crash data in Sandy Springs.
“When [motorists] do make mistakes, we want to make sure that those mistakes are not resulting in deaths or serious injuries,” Gomez said. “We’ve gotten feedback
on several of the problem areas that the residents feel are safety issues.”
The top three concerns are lack of protection for pedestrians and cyclists, inadequate signage and intersection or turning-related issues. Other problems include speeding, ignoring roadway signage, ingress and egress safety and visibility obstructions.
Most crashes in the city occur at signalized intersections along Roswell Road, interchanges along I-285 and Ga. 400 and busy city streets like Mount Vernon Highway, Peachtree Dunwoody and Abernathy roads.
Other focuses of Gresham Smith’s crash analysis were causes and conditions.
Interestingly, fatal and serious-injury crashes jumped 50 percent from the 201317 to 2018-22 reporting periods, with the most overrepresented factors involving distracted driving or texting, large trucks and impaired drivers.
More than two-thirds of car crashes in Sandy Springs occur on state routes or interstates. In fact, only 34 percent of the 27,502 crashes occurred on city streets.
Gomez said the crash analysis identified a two-tiered high injury network in Sandy Springs.
“As most people would expect … some of these high injury roadway segments are along Roswell Road or some of our highly traveled arterial facilities,” he said. “We also looked at several intersections … to identify some of the most crash prone.”
Feedback from residents is crucial for ensuring the city’s Safety Action Plan addresses problems within the city’s transportation network.
Residents identified Long Island Drive’s
Department has already completed some roadway safety projects. Recent examples include the mid-block crossing on Roswell Road at the North Fulton Government Center and widening Mount Vernon Highway.
Gomez said implementation is a multi-faceted approach to roadway safety, revolving around education, enforcement, evaluation, emergency response and engineering.
Implementing the city’s Safety Action Plan will involve most, if not all, city departments.
A map shows near-term roadway improvements in the proposed Sandy Springs Safety Action Plan, set for final approval in February or March. Throughout this fall, Sandy Springs staff and Gresham Smith engineers have been working to gather resident feedback on the plan.
intersections with Roswell Road (Ga. 9), Lake Forrest Drive and Mount Vernon Highway as safety concerns.
While the city has improvements planned at Long Island Drive and Mount Vernon Highway, the input helps identify projects for upcoming federal disbursements.
The three-way intersection, Long Island Drive and Roswell Road, becomes a fourway traffic jam with vehicles turning into the apartment complex across the state route.
Several residents identified the intersection during an online comment period this summer and asked for a stoplight.
The Sandy Springs Public Works
For education, participants were asked to rank three ideas, safe routes to school, state and national safety campaigns and active engagement with local communities, based on what they think would be most helpful.
In each category of roadway safety implementation, participants leaned toward school zone enforcement, walkability audits and equitable investment across the city.
After running through the specific projects and initiatives for each category, Gomez asked respondents to rank them.
Respondents prioritized engineering investments in roadway safety, followed by enforcement, emergency response, education, evaluation and encouragement.
Gomez also asked residents for ideas to help improve roadway safety.
They said filling sidewalk gaps around the City Springs district and installing midblock crossings should be a priority where pedestrian activity is already high, especially during city-sponsored events.
Other suggestions included speed limit reductions, enforcement of existing laws, traffic calming at entrances to neighborhoods and speed-conscious design of roadways.
“There’s nothing more important than making sure that people who want to walk have that ability in the city,” Gomez said.
Departure from North Metro alliance may cause shuffle among members
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Police Department is looking to leave the North Metro Special Weapons and Tactics team to form its own squad.
Founded in 2009, North Metro SWAT is a multi-jurisdictional tactical team that consists of the Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Dunwoody, Chamblee and Brookhaven police departments.
Member officers who have gone through specialized training cross jurisdictional lines to respond to hostage situations, barricaded suspects, heavily armed criminal engagement, counter-terrorism, active assailants and dignitary protection.
Sandy Springs Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Leon Millholland said the department will stay on North Metro SWAT until Dec. 31, and then stand up on its own team Jan. 1.
“The decision was made to have
our own SWAT team dedicated to the citizens and businesses of Sandy Springs,” Millholland said.
Moving forward, he said Sandy Springs SWAT will be there to support
its neighboring agencies if needed.
Sandy Springs Communications and Public Relations Director Carter Long said the item was to go before the City Council Dec. 3, but later confirmed that it was not on the agenda.
and crisis negotiation team.
Sandy Springs SWAT would have the same capabilities as the North Metro SWAT, he said, to serve the city of more than 105,000 residents.
Millholland said there’s about five to six incidents a year in Sandy Springs that require a SWAT presence and that they are mostly search warrants that need to be executed or domestic incidents that have gone “really bad.”
“Now that could change,” he said. “It's one of the things that's unpredictable. It may happen, it may not. So, we just want to make sure that we've got a team to be able to respond in Sandy Springs if those situations do come up.”
Because of the change in membership, the Johns Creek Police Department is now looking to join the North Fulton SWAT team, which consists of the Roswell, Alpharetta and Milton police departments.
It’s unclear whether the change must be done through a formal City Council vote. Millholland said the city sent out a 90-day notice to the other North Metro SWAT agencies and that he thinks it’s the only requirement needed.
“I don't think it's coming up for a vote because it's already a done deal,” he said.
The City of Sandy Springs’ dedicated webpage has already been updated to reflect the department’s decision to go it alone.
Millholland said there would be no additional cost to the measure.
“The personnel, the equipment is already in place,” he said.
Sandy Springs Police has a SWAT team of around 30 officers, Millholland said, which covers the entry team, perimeter team, sniper team
The contract, detailing a new cost sharing ratio, went before the Roswell City Council at its Nov. 26 committee meeting.
Johns Creek Police Chief Mark Mitchell said the move made “business sense” as the department would be the only North Fulton city left on the SWAT team. He said the end of Johns Creek’s participation is Jan. 8.
“Now, granted, like I said, we had a very wonderful relationship with them,” Mitchell said.
He added that there’s the benefit of proximity as an incoming member of North Fulton SWAT.
“We face a lot of the same crimes and type of call outs and things like that,” Mitchell said. “We’re already partnered with them on other ventures and things that we do.”
The departure of Johns Creek Police leaves North Metro SWAT with the Dunwoody, Brookhaven and Chamblee police departments.
Dunwoody Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Michael Cheek said the group is in the preliminary stages of discussion with the City of Doraville regarding a potential partnership with its agency.
“While there may be some personnel and equipment costs associated with this transition, the impact on the North Metro S.W.A.T. Team will be minimal,” Cheek said. “The team will maintain its full operational capabilities and remain consistent in its performance.”
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Expand your family by 4 furry little feet; meet Jude and have a loving friend forever. All adoptions include spay/ neuter, vaccinations and microchip. All you have to do is provide the love and security that every shelter animal deserves. If you would like more information about Jude or if you have questions about adopting, fostering or volunteering please email adoption@dekalbanimalservices.com or call (404) 294-2165; all potential adopters will be screened to ensure Jude goes to a good home.
Come visit Jude and hundreds of other adoptable pets at DeKalb County Animal Services today -- no appointment needed. Our address is 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Chamblee, GA 30340. We look forward to helping you find your new best friend.
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While many of us focus on passing down tangible assets, there’s a profound yet often overlooked aspect of estate planning: the ethical will. Unlike a traditional will that outlines the distribution of your possessions, an ethical will is a heartfelt document that conveys your values, life lessons, and personal reflections to your loved ones. Imagine crafting a letter filled with your hopes, dreams, and the wisdom you’ve gained throughout your life—an opportunity to share stories that shaped you, the values you hold dear, and the advice you wish to pass down. It’s not just about what you leave behind, but how you want to be remembered. In a world where material possessions can easily fade, the messages of love, resilience, and purpose carry lasting weight. An ethical will invites your family and
friends to connect with the essence of who you are, offering guidance and inspiration long after you're gone. Whether it’s sharing your triumphs, acknowledging challenges, or imparting lessons learned from mistakes, this document allows you to weave a narrative that transcends generations. So, why not take the time to explore this meaningful practice? Your legacy could be richer than you ever imagined. What stories or lessons would you want to share with your loved ones? Interested in learning more about wills and estate planning?
HANS APPEN Publisher
The holiday season is a time for giving, gratitude and spreading cheer. As we gather with loved ones and reflect on the year gone by, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to recognize the hard work of those who make our everyday lives a little brighter. Among them are the dedicated individuals who deliver your free community newspaper each week.
Our newspaper delivery people work tirelessly to ensure you receive your paper promptly, no matter the weather.
Continued from Page 1
To tip your newspaper delivery driver, go to appenmedia.com/deliverytip now through the end of the year.
Whether it’s a crisp autumn morning, a snowy winter dawn or a rainy day, they are up early, making sure you have the latest news and stories delivered right to your driveway. Their efforts keep our community connected, informed and engaged.
Given their dedication and the extra challenges they often face — especially during the colder months — now is the perfect time to show your appreciation with a holiday tip. A small gesture of thanks can go a long way in making
For residents along Lake Forrest Drive at the Atlanta-Sandy Springs border, there is a daily reminder of the hurricane.
After a culvert failure at 4504 Lake Forrest Drive, the sidewalk along the roadway collapsed into a sinkhole, exposing buried pipes and leaving nothing but empty space beneath half of the roadway.
The detour involves weaving through neighborhoods, creating extreme traffic congestion around the second largest park in Atlanta.
During rush hour, the suggested detour leaves dozens of vehicles sitting at Dudley Lane and Chastain Park Drive scouting for a gap in the stream of cars that visit the park daily.
While the road closure has not created the same traffic congestion on Lake Forrest Drive, there are significantly more vehicles on roadways around Chastain Park.
Meanwhile, Sandy Springs residents living north of the road closure have gone without a major north-south collector. Traffic on Roswell Road (Ga. 9) near the Atlanta-Sandy Springs border has been especially congested over the past two months.
The City of Atlanta is responsible for repairs because 4504 Lake Forrest Drive sits just within its border.
That didn’t stop Sandy Springs Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone from visiting the site the evening the sinkhole formed.
Records obtained by Appen Media from Sandy Springs show Sandy Springs City Councilman Andy Bauman and Public Works Director Martin Marrtin asking Atlanta officials in late September and early October when the roadway would reopen.
Outside of a detour plan and conversations in late September about the road closure, records showed no updates from Atlanta to Sandy Springs officials.
Appen Media reached out the Atlanta Watershed Management Department Nov. 15 for an explanation about why repair work on Lake Forrest Drive had taken a month and a half to begin.
Schereé Rawles, Communications and Community
their season a little brighter.
Ways to tip your carrier
If you’d like to express your gratitude this holiday season, there are two simple ways you can do so:
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This holiday season, let's come together as a community to show our appreciation for those who make our lives a little easier. A small gesture can have a big impact, reminding us all of the joy and kindness that the holidays are all about.
A photo of the culvert failure and road closure at 4504 Lake Forrest Drive Sept. 27 shows the immediate impacts of rainfall from Hurricane Helene on the roadway. The Atlanta Watershed Management Department said work to repair the pipe and roadway began Nov. 18 and will last seven weeks.
Relations director, said the Department of Watershed Management dedicated around 40 hours to repairing and stabilizing the sinkhole while conducting camera inspections of the stormwater and sewer systems along the roadway.
That work occurred before crews started repairs Nov. 18.
The day after the sinkhole formed, Atlanta Transportation Department crews put out barriers blocking off the compromised roadway to motorists.
When more rains came through Metro Atlanta in early November, no progress had been made on repairs besides stabilizing the roadway and filling in the sinkhole.
The stabilizing materials washed away with significant damage to the asphalt and pipes. A homeowner along Lake Forrest Drive reached out to the Watershed
Management Department with concerns about the delay, saying the situation jeopardized trees on his property.
Rawles said the road stabilization work was successfully completed and tree removal operations began Nov. 15.
Rawles said the Watershed Management Department requires its contractors to submit proposed designs and materials for review before work commences.
“Additionally, the property owner must formally sign all rights of entry before any activities begin … [which] was secured on Thursday, Nov. 7,” Rawles said. “DWM has actively engaged with the design reviews, and the pipe repair and roadway improvement project will begin on Monday, Nov. 18.”
Construction crews were on-site Nov. 21 at 4504 Lake Forrest Drive with heavy machinery.
Pat Fox, our editor and friend, keeps asking me when I am going to write my column on the 100 most influential/impactful people of all time. It seems like a good idea for a column albeit, a bit imposing. But I have finally worked up enough energy and optimism to at least start. Spoiler: I think these might not be your traditional “influential” folk, at least some of them, and I may not take this idea seriously all the time.
No. 1: George Balanchine. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Balanchine was the most influential choreographer in ballet history. Why should No. 1 designation go to a ballet choreographer? I went to the performance of the Ukraine Ballet last night at The Cobb Energy Center with my ballerina daughter (once upon a time) and realized in the middle of the performance, that the opposite of “war” is – and has to be “ballet.” The horror of war is mirrored/refracted by the beauty and truth that is ballet. Both ballet and war are choices. One is not a good one. The other is.
No. 2: Alfred Nobel. He might as well have invented modern war. In 1867 he invented dynamite. Naturally, following his ranking somewhere has to be Robert Oppenheimer —generally regarded as the father of the atomic bomb, the ultimate weapon of war — but I don’t know how I feel about putting him high in the rankings, or at all. Maybe my grandfather H.V. Appen should be there instead. He helped build the Manhattan Project Oakridge Tennessee, the facility where the bomb was developed. He did that while his brother Albert von Appen was piloting a German U-boat. Okay, maybe not. Actually, maybe none of them should be on the list. Maybe the guy who prevented the use of the Atomic Bomb should be.
No. 3: Vasilli Arkhipov. Context: Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, Oct. 27. Soviet submarine, B-59 which is equipped with nuclear torpedoes and captained by Valentin Savitsky. U.S. Navy enforcing blockade around Cuba and is dropping depth charges to force Soviet submarines to surface. Communication is cut off with B-29, and its captain believes that war with the United States has begun and orders the nuclear torpedoes armed and readied to launch. Launch requires approval of three people — the captain, the political officer, and the second in command. The political officer gives his approval, leaving only the second in command to approve. The second in command, Vasilli Arkhipov, refuses to consent to the launch. One guy. Just one guy and a probable nuclear armaged-
don between the Soviet Union and the United States is averted.
No. 4: Stanislav Petrov. Context: In 1983 — about 20 years after the almost nuclear war — this Soviet military officer was on duty when the Soviet early warning system detected multiple U.S. missile launches aimed at the Soviet Union. Protocol called for Stanislav to report the perceived attack to his superiors which would probably have triggered a Soviet nuclear retaliatory strike. Petrov suspected that the alarm was a malfunction and did not report it to his superiors. His assumption later proved to be correct, and his willingness to risk his career and probably his life potentially saved the world from a catastrophic nuclear conflict. Maybe he is the one who should get that Peace Prize.
No. 5: Jointly, Linus Pauling and Albert Schweitzer. Both won Nobel Prizes for Peace, Pauling specifically for his activism in opposing the testing, use and proliferation of nuclear weapons, and Schweitzer for his “Reverence for Life Philosophy” which included his opposition to nuclear arms and his work jointly with Pauling, his friend Albert Einstein, and other scientists. Of note, Pauling also won the Nobel prize for Chemistry, the only person ever to win two unshared Nobel Prizes and one of only two people to have won Nobel Prizes in two different categories. The other was Marie Curie, who won in physics and in chemistry (for the discovery of polonium and radium).
No. 6: The Joker in Batman (The Dark Knight), Context: Hans Zimmer who wrote much of the music for the Dark Knight trilogy said that The Joker — not Batman —- was the only true honest character in The Dark Knight Trilogy. So, naming him as No. 6 is sort of my way of nominating “honesty” as a most influential idea (instead of an individual) — and the fact that it is through art and culture — in this case a movie and a music composer — that the value is spotlighted and promoted. It’s sort of like the Ukraine Ballet and their representation and opposition to Putin’s war.
No. 7: Antulio Ramirez Ortiz. Context: Antulio is the first guy to hijack a commercial plane (National Airlines Flight #337 in 1961) which was traveling to Key West from Miami and was diverted by Antulio to Cuba. He was allowed to live in Cuba but most of the remainder of his life is undocumented.
Honorable Mention goes to D.B. Cooper, the first person to hijack a domestic plane and escape via parachuting out (as it flew somewhere over Washington State) on Nov. 24, 1971. D. B. Cooper was never caught. Both Ortiz and Cooper are largely responsible for the billions of dollars spent worldwide on security screening apparatus and the tens of thousands
of jobs associated with the staffing in airports.
No. 8: Andy Warhol. (I apologize for my indulgence here) Context: There is no serious merit for this ranking, OK? Andy Warhol — mainly because I love the Campbell Soup Cans; I love the potoroids of Marilyn Monroe; actually because I love anything and everything Marilyn Monroe — what and who she was, represented, and suggested; and because when I think about MM, it takes me back to the time when Lou Reed was playing with The Velvet Underground and wrote two of my sentimental favorites, “Walk on the Wild Side” and (my very favorite) “Pale Blue Eyes.”
No. 9: Joe DiMaggio. (Another indulgence, sorry) Context: His 56-game hitting streak — probably the baseball record least likely to ever be broken. Also, his class and dignity. And finally, I have to admit what a romantic sucker I am — his short marriage to Marilyn Monroe (see No. 8) and after her death on Aug. 5, 1962, he delivered a dozen roses to her grave every week for the next 20 or so years… “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.” (Thank you Paul Simon)
No. 10: Muhammad Ali. Context: Take your pick Mohammad Ali his principals, his integrity, his willingness to fight for and go to jail for what he believed in — a Black man in a White man’s world who ended up being the most famous, most recognized and arguably one of the most respected human beings on the planet.
Or does one pick his fights? Ali vs Smokin’ Joe Frazer — heavy weight fights that are the boxing standard we will never see again. “It was the closest thing to dying that I know. I was in a war.” That’s Ali on the first fight (losing) with Frazier. “It was like a war. I gave it my all. I thought I was going to die in there.”
Joe Frazier on the second (losing) fight with Ali. “I hit him (Ali) with punches that would’ve taken a tree down. Lord he is a great fighter.” Joe Frazier on the “Thrilla in Manilla.”
Or, do you pick just one fight — the epic fight in 1974 — “The Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire, between an aging in the final years of his career Ali and the 25-year-old George Foreman, the reigning heavy weight champion with 37 knockouts. Prior to his match with Ali, Foreman destroyed Joe Frazier (January 1973), knocking him out in the second round, and in March 1974, he destroyed Ken Norton in the second round, the same Ken Norton who broke Ali’s jaw in the second round of their March of 1973 non-title bout.
After the broken jaw, Ali fought another 10 rounds and end up losing to Norton in a split decision. Who fights 10 rounds with a broken jaw? Who? Only
one guy — Ali. Everyone expected Ali also would be destroyed by Foreman, and for almost eight rounds, Foreman pounded him. Ali had nothing. Just stayed on the ropes and let Foreman hit him until early in the eighth when Ali exploded, drawing on all the remaining strength of his tired arms and relying on pure raw will — the kind of will that only true champions have. He released a series of hooks that rocked Foreman, then landed a heavy right hand followed by a left hook that shook the boxing world to its core as Foreman toppled and couldn’t get up. Only one person wasn’t surprised by the win — only one. Ali. No. 11: Our Appen Media Herald/ Crier reporters and news staff. They are working their hearts out for you, and they need — we need — you to come on board with us and help row; row with your financial support so we can keep doing what we do for you and your family.
We’re monitoring government spending of your tax dollars. We saved helped save thousands this year and we’ll continue to do that. We continue monitoring law enforcement to make sure your rights are respected and you are kept safe. We’ll monitor all this growth and development that directly impacts your quality of life — and the traffic! This accountability journalism is critical. But we do more. You see stories like these:
• Our story on a Dunwoody memorial for fallen American soldiers and the South Vietnamese who fought alongside them.
• A story about local, dedicated business owners working hard to make a living.
• A critical story about efforts to save a top-performing public elementary school from district closure.
All those stories were written by just one of our reporters, Hayden Sumlin; he wrote them all within just a few days and he wrote others as well. The rest of the reporters work just as hard and diligently. Our newsroom is skilled, fast and efficient, so when we ask you for your support, know that we will use it wisely. Our goal is to add 35 new Press Club members by the end of October. We are so close to reaching this membership goal.
Here’s how to make a recurring contribution or a one-time payment, any amount you are comfortable with: CONTRIBUTE ON AppenMedia.com home page — upper right — click on that red bar that says “JOIN THE CLUB” to access your options. You can also just mail in a contribution: Appen Press Club, 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009. Make the check out to Appen Media and in the subject line write “Appen Press Club.”
In the next column we’ll take a left hook at the next 10 most influential or impactful people or maybe a top 10 rotten tomatoes list! Who knows?
Continued from Page 1
On Dec. 9, the district will announce the list of published schools open for transfer, which is also the day the transfer application window opens. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15, one day after the redistricting recommendation will be made to the School Board.
The list includes schools only with available space, defined as 95-percent enrollment or those below stated capacity over a three-year projection. By all accounts, Spalding should be a candidate.
Using the district’s fiscal year 2025 data, which includes a formula to project enrollment through 2028, a study by Appen Media anticipates all elementary schools in Sandy Springs will make the list. That includes Spalding Drive, as well as Dunwoody Springs, Heards Ferry, High Point, Ison Springs, Lake Forest and Woodland elementary schools.
The full list of schools, compiled by Appen Media across all school levels and regions — South Fulton, Sandy Springs and North Fulton — is attached to this article. Charter and alternative schools are excluded from the list.
Emily Bell, a parent of three students at Spalding Drive Elementary, said more than a dozen prospective parents turned up to a recent interest meeting held by the school’s PTO. All the parents were from outside the Spalding Drive district, and they were interested in using the new open enrollment process.
Another prospective parent meeting is scheduled for December.
“Each one of them said — in their mind, their options were private school or Spalding,” Bell said.
Spalding Drive Elementary has the region’s second highest academic achievement. Heards Ferry has higher test scores but a less diverse student population.
If Spalding closes, Bell and her husband are also considering private school for their children, joining what has been described as an exodus.
But, at $16,000 to $30,000 per child, it’s not something they budgeted for.
Spalding Drive is a five-minute drive away from Bell’s home. The next closest public elementary school, outside of Sandy Springs, is across the river in Roswell, a 17-minute drive.
Because her oldest is heading to middle school next year, the logistics in juggling two schedules is already complicated enough.
Bell said she’s happy with Spalding Drive.
“I have a lot of friends who live over in DeKalb County, and I’m just always bragging about our school, how it’s a small neighborhood school,” Bell said. “The principal knows the name of every student, even all the other teachers know my kids.
Appen Media compiled a list of schools across all three regions in the Fulton County School District, using the district’s formula in determining which schools can accept transfer students. Only schools with available space, defined as 95 percent enrollment or below stated capacity over a three-year projection, will make it to the list.
Elementary
Dunwoody
Springs
Heard Ferry High Point
Elementary
Abbotts Hill
Alpharetta Barnwell
Birmingham Falls
Cogburn Woods
Crabapple Crossing
Dolvin
Findley Oaks
Hembree Springs Hillside
Esther Jackson
Lake Windward
Manning Oaks Medlock Bridge
Elementary Bethune
Brookview
Campbell Cliftondale
College Park
Conley Hills
Feldwood
Gullatt
Hapeville
Heritage
Asa G. Hilliard
Hamilton E.
Ison Springs Lake Forest
Spalding Drive Woodland
Middle Ridgeview Sandy Springs
High North Springs Riverwood
Story highlights
•Any Fulton County student is now eligible to transfer schools. However, they are limited in which schools they can transfer to. Only certain schools - those below 95% enrollment - will be open for transfers. Additionally any schools currently undergoing redistricting will be ineligible.
•The district plans to publish the list of eligible schools Dec. 9, the same day the application window opens. It will run through Jan. 15.
Mimosa
Mountain Park
New Prospect Northwood
Ocee
River Eves
Roswell North
Shakerag
State Bridge Crossing
Summit Hill
Sweet Apple
Vickery Mill
*NOT ON THE LIST: CREEK VIEW, WILSON CREEK
Middle Autrey Mill
Crabapple (replacement)
Elkins Pointe
Haynes Bridge
Holcomb Bridge
Hopewell
Taylor Road
*NOT ON THE LIST: NORTHWESTERN, RIVER TRAIL, WEBB BRIDGE
High
Alpharetta Cambridge Centennial
Chattahoochee Johns Creek Northview Roswell
*NOT ON THE LIST: INNOVATION ACADEMY, MILTON HIGH SCHOOL
•Appen Media analyzed historical and projected enrollment figures to prepare an estimation of what that Dec. 9 list will look like. It is attached to this story.
Reinvigorating a return to public schools, he said, is going to take an innovative and creative marketing strategy.
“There’s a lot of ways to solve this issue, to get more students to come back to public school,” he said.
Holmes
Seaborn Lee
Liberty Point
Love T. Nolan
Oakley
Palmetto
Parklane
A.P. Randolph
Renaissance
Stonewall Tell
Evoline West
Wolf Creek
*NOT ON THE LIST: S.L. LEWIS
Middle Bear Creek
Camp Creek
Ronald McNair
Renaissance Sandtown
Paul D. West
Woodland
High Creekside
Global Impact Academy
Langston Hughes
Tri-Cities
Westlake
*NOT ON THE LIST: BANNEKER, WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOLS
Fulton County Schools Chief Communication Officer Brian Noyes said the idea to close Spalding Drive Elementary is more a response to declining enrollment across the entire region, and the district’s need to reach capacity, rather than singling out one school.
One big pull for state funding is districtwide enrollment, rather than across individual schools. Nevertheless, Noyes said the move is a cost-saving measure.
“There will be a savings from the closure of a cost center, the maintenance and upkeep of the building, the number of personnel that are assigned per school and the school allotment guidelines,” he said. “That’s all categorical, rather than a single number…”
APPEN MEDIA ANALYSIS
Note: This list a tentative roster of the schools that will be eligible for transfer, based on historical and projected enrollment. Fulton County plans to publish the official list Dec. 9.
My kids know them, the parents know each other — a small, tight-knit community, which is what you want for your children. So, it’s been magical.”
Time constraints
The application window gives parents a little over five weeks to make their decision on which school their children should attend next school year.
Bell said that’s not enough time.
“It makes for a tight timeline, especially with Christmas and everything too,” she said. “If you want to actually see these schools in person, you don’t have a whole lot of time to check them out and make an educated decision.”
She had just gone on a tour the day before to check out Ridgeview Middle School for her oldest, though Bell’s family is zoned for Sandy Springs Middle.
“On short notice, it’s hard for me to hit up all the elementary schools in the area,” Bell said.
Another Sandy Springs elementary school parent, Dhaval Desai, is concerned about the future of his daughter’s education. She’s a rising fourth grader at High Point Elementary, and his son is in pre-K.
“She’s in a very pivotal grade,” Desai said. “Third grade is when milestones start, the academics are getting more rigorous, and High Point is very intentional, where every learner’s needs are met.”
He said the school culture is being disrupted right now.
“This is the relationship we’ve nurtured, and we’ve built, especially in the postpandemic world, where we’re really trying to catch up with all our academics and social integration,” Desai said.
But, Noyes said the district’s Human Resources Department has already begun conversations with teachers at Spalding Drive to ensure they retain a job within the Fulton County public school system.
The district’s transfer policy, Noyes said, bars redistricted schools from open enrollment because it understands that shifts will occur.
“It takes a year or two for that to work its way out — how many students ended up going or did they transfer somewhere else,” Noyes said. “We can’t assume that the enrollment is going to be the same in a school that’s being redistricted, so therefore they would not be eligible for open enrollment because open enrollment is based upon capacity.”
But, no decision has been made yet, he said, and the district is in “input mode.”
“We are listening,” Noyes said. “So, the board is listening to all these things … We’re reviewing all the data. We’re reviewing the input from the parents. So, they are listening to these questions and these concerns that are being raised.”
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Bilingual Food Pantry Supervisor
The Food Pantry Supervisor supports all aspects of the Food Pantry including inventory control, receiving products, client orders, supervising and managing volunteers, entering data and creating reports and supporting client intake. The Supervisor is the primary backup support to the Food Pantry Manager.
The Food Pantry Supervisor supports all aspects of the Food Pantry including inventory control, receiving products, client orders, supervising and managing volunteers, entering data and creating reports and supporting client intake. The Supervisor is the primary backup support to the Food Pantry Manager.
The Supervisor must be proficient in Spanish and have the ability to work with a team in a professional manner within a fast paced environment. Good interpersonal communications skills are required and MS Office (Excel) experience is a plus. Must have the ability to work evenings & weekends, lift up to 42lbs, use a pallet jack, push and pull items, and be on your feet for several hours.
The Supervisor must be proficient in Spanish and have the ability to work with a team in a professional manner within a fast paced environment. Good interpersonal communications skills are required and MS Office (Excel) experience is a plus. Must have the ability to work evenings & weekends, lift up to 42lbs, use a pallet jack, push and pull items, and be on your feet for several hours.
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
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