Former Inman Middle School could become ‘upper elementary academy’

By Collin Kelley

Atlanta Public Schools

Superintendent Lisa Herring has proposed turning the former Inman Middle School campus in VirginiaHighland into an “upper elementary academy” for fourth and fifth graders.

Herring told parents during a recent meeting on the issue that the move could help solve overcrowding at elementary schools in the Midtown cluster, including Hope-Hill, Mary Lin, Morningside, and Springdale Park.

The Inman campus is currently being used as a temporary home for Morningside Elementary, which is undergoing renovation. Inman students now attend Howard Middle School in Old Fourth Ward.

The Atlanta School Board could vote on the issue in December, and Herring said Inman could be ready for the fourth and fifth graders for the 2022-23 school year.

Parents in the Midtown cluster questioned the move, citing issues of transportation, more upheaval for students following the pandemic, and concerns over breaking up school communities.

There’s also concern that the opening of the academy would only be a band-aid on overcrowding issue with more classrooms needed in less than a decade to meet student demand.

Herring said there would be additional community meetings on the new school before a decision is made.

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