Mary Lin Local School Council Position Statement

Provided by Jeff Shaw, Chair of the Mary Lin Local School Council:

Mary Lin Elementary Local School Council
December 2011 APS Capacity Student and Facilities Plan
Summary of Proposed Options and Recommendations

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) recently published the results of their 2011 Capacity Study and Facilities Plan.  There were four proposed options presented, and all individuals within the APS communities have been asked to provide feedback on the options by Friday, December 16^th.  We, the members of the Mary Lin Elementary School Local School Council (Lin LSC), have prepared a summary of these options, how they relate to the current Lin community, and where feasible, the options that we would recommend.

The Lin LSC is our school’s official voice to the Atlanta Public Schools administration under Georgia law.  The Lin LSC has been working on and monitoring this potential redistricting issue for many months, and last month, the Lin LSC sent a communication to APS Superintendent Erroll Davis, outlining the three fundamental points or goals that we think are essential to the Lin community:

1.     Keeping the current boundaries for Lin intact, so that the Candler Park, Inman Park, and Lake Claire communities remain together;

2.     Expanding and renovating Mary Lin; and

3.     Keeping Mary Lin at Inman Middle School and Grady High School.

The letter, which includes additional detail and our rationale for each of the above three requirements, is posted on the Lin website, in the Our School/Local School Council section [http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/domain/1544].

We strongly encourage all Mary Lin parents to complete the 2011 Capacity Study and Facilities Plan survey and return it to Bleakly Advisory Group by December 16^th.  Paper surveys were sent home with all students last week and are available in the school office.  These can be returned to Mary Lin by Friday morning and we will submit these to Bleakly Friday afternoon.  Alternatively or in addition, the survey is available on-line at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2SPYCCK .  Presentations outlining the options, and the various maps pertaining to the options, as well as a link to the survey, are available at http://www.atlantapublicschools.us/Page/413 , or visit the Atlanta Public Schools website, and click on “Demographic Study”.

When completing the survey, it is important that you provide comments as to why the scenarios are were ranked in a particular order.  It is our understanding that it is unlikely that any of the scenarios will be implemented as described; instead, the focus by APS and its demographers is on understanding why some options are preferred or discouraged.  We recognize the diversity of the Lin community and the different opinions of all of our parents; therefore, we are not instructing you on how to complete the survey, rather, we are providing information on the options, and outlining our recommendations where feasible, which are in line with the above three goals.  In addition, we have provided potential comments you may wish to add, but encourage you to provide your own.

Feedback is requested for each school level (elementary, middle and high); therefore, we have provided descriptions and recommendations in the same manner.  It is important to note that survey respondents may pick different options at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and do not have to stay with the same option at each school level.

Elementary School

Option 1

·       Lin addition.  Options 1, 2, and 3 include a 176 seat addition at Lin to add to its current capacity of 528, bringing the total capacity tom 704.  Current enrollment is 590.

·       Inman Park neighborhood, or at least part of it, re-zoned out of Lin, Inman, and Grady.

·       Rest of current Lin population remains in Inman and Grady.

Option 2

·       Lin addition, see comments under option 1 above.

·       Existing Lin communities paired with Hope-Hill to create two K-2/3-5 academies, with a K-2 school likely at Lin, and a 3-5 school likely at Hope-Hill.

·       Lin remains in Inman and Grady.

Option 3

·       Lin addition, see comments under option 1 above.

·       No change to existing Lin communities, with Inman Park, Candler Park, and Lake Claire staying at Lin.

·       Lin remains in Inman and Grady.

Option 4

·       No Lin addition.

·       Existing Lin communities paired with Toomer to create two K-2/3-5 academies, with a K-2 school likely at Lin, and a 3-5 school likely at Toomer.

·       Lin remains in Inman and Grady.

LIN LSC recommendation at the elementary school level – Option 3

Rationale/Comments – Option 3 at the elementary school level is clearly the option most consistent with Lin community’s three fundamental points or goals set forth above and in the LSC’s letter to Erroll Davis.  It keeps the three Lin neighborhoods, Inman Park, Candler Park, and Lake Claire, together at Lin, and gives us the addition/renovation at Lin.  By recommending option 3 at the elementary school level, the Lin LSC in no way endorses or supports the parts of option 3 that apply to other schools, and does not support a K-2/3-5 approach for any neighboring school(s).

It is also noted that Inman Park, or at least part of it, is removed from Lin, and from Inman M.S. and Grady H.S. in option 1.  The LIN LSC is therefore strongly opposed to option 1 at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

With regard to the future at Lin, the Lin LSC has noted that APS demographers now project Lin to possibly reach a maximum enrollment of 780 students within the next 10 years.  (Previous projections had Lin reaching only 600 students.)  As noted above, the proposed Lin addition would bring Lin’s capacity to 704 students.  Because of this, the Lin LSC recommends the following comment(s) be made on the surveys:

LIN LSC recommended elementary school comment 1:  Because it is projected that Lin’s enrollment may reach 780 students in the next ten years, the proposed Lin addition should be for 250 students, instead of 176 students.      

And/or:

LIN LSC recommended elementary school comment 2:  Because it is projected that Lin’s enrollment may reach 780 students in the next ten years, APS should consider a new 5-6 school in Lin/Inman/Grady area.  (See further discussion of a new 5-6 school below.)

Middle School

Option 1

·       Inman Park, or at least part of it, no longer goes to Inman M.S.  Inman M.S. population is also significantly reduced by redistricting some of existing Inman population (Inman Park and Hope-Hill) to Coan, to Kennedy M.S. (Centennial) and to a new Midtown M.S. (Morningside).

Option 2

·       Inman population reduced by redistricting some of existing Inman population to new Midtown M.S. (Morningside) and Kennedy M.S. (Centennial); adds all of Hope-Hill.  Lin in its entirety remains at Inman M.S.

Option 3

·       Inman population reduced by redistricting some of existing Inman population to new Midtown M.S. (Morningside, some SPARK) and Kennedy M.S. (Centennial); adds all of Hope-Hill.  Lin in its entirety remains at Inman M.S.

Option 4

·       Inman population reduced by redistricting some of existing Inman population (Morningside) to new Midtown M.S. and Kennedy M.S. (Centennial); adds Hope-Hill and Kirkwood neighborhoods.  Lin in its entirety remains at Inman M.S.

LIN LSC recommendation at the middle school level – Options 2 or 3, but with reservations

Rationale/Comments – Either option 2 or 3 is consistent with Lin community’s three fundamental points or goals.  However, the Lin LSC notes that Morningside elementary (MES), and parts of Centennial elementary, are removed from Inman M.S. in all four options, and therefore none of the four options at the middle school level are fully endorsed by the Lin LSC.  The Lin LSC would much prefer options that would keep Morningside, and Centennial if possible, at Inman M.S., or staying within the Grady cluster.  We believe this could be accomplished by either allowing Inman to reach its true full capacity of 900 to 1,000 students (see discussion of this at p. 4 of the LIN LSC letter to Erroll Davis), or by building or renovating a facility to be used as either a new 5-6, a 6, or an 8, school within the Lin/Inman/Grady area.  The Lin LSC therefore recommends the following comment:

LIN LSC recommended middle school comment:  I strongly support keeping Morningside and Centennial at Inman M.S., AS LONG AS LIN ALSO STAYS AT INMAN M.S., by either (a) allowing Inman M.S. to be used at a full capacity of 900 to 1,000 students, or (b) by creating a new 5-6, 6, or 8 school in the Lin/Inman/Grady area to serve the current Inman zone.

High School

Option 1

·       Inman Park, or at least part of it, no longer goes to Grady H.S.  The rest of Lin, all of Spark, most of Morningside, and Centennial stay at Grady.  East Lake, Toomer, and Hope-Hill are removed from Grady.

 Option 2

All of Lin, Spark, and Hope-Hill, and most of Morningside, stay at Grady.  East Lake, Toomer, and Centennial are removed from Grady.

Option 3

All of Lin, Hope-Hill, and Centennial, and most of Spark, stay at Grady.  Morningside, East Lake, and Toomer are removed from Grady.

Option 4

·       All of Lin and Spark, and most of Hope-Hill, and part of Toomer, stay at Grady.  Morningside and Centennial are removed from Grady.

LIN LSC recommendation at the high school level – Option 2

Rationale/Comments – Options 2, 3, and 4 are potentially consistent with Lin’s three fundamental goals, but option 2 keeps the greatest part of the current Grady cluster intact, and makes the most sense geographically, and is supported by the Lin LSC.  The Lin LSC would note in addition, however, that the first phase of APS’ demographic study indicated that there are 432 out of zone students at Grady, and we doubt that situation has changed significantly at present.  We believe that it is possible that no one would need to be redistricted out of Grady if the significant out of zone student population is brought under control at Grady.  We therefore strongly recommend the following comment:

LIN LSC recommended high school comment:  APS’ demographic study indicates that there are 432 out of zone students at Grady H.S., and this situation needs to be addressed and brought under control.  No one should be redistricted out of Grady H.S. until the number of out of zone students is significantly reduced.

These are the Lin LSC’s recommendations regarding responses to the current APS 2011 Capacity Study and Facilities Plan survey.  These recommendations have been put together after having received the feedback from the Candler Park Neighborhood Organization, the Inman Park Neighborhood Association, the Lake Claire Neighbors, and 30307 schools, and we believe reflect the current views of a majority of the Lin community.  Responding to the survey with some consensus may strengthen our voice to APS, and it is with that in mind that we make these recommendations.  However, we understand that some views may differ somewhat from these recommendations.  Please respond to the survey to ensure that your, and Lin’s, voice is heard in this complex process.

Thank you, and please contact the Lin LSC with any questions or comments.  This process may continue on for additional months, and we appreciate your patience, cooperation, and input now and in the future.

Mary Lin Elementary Local School Council:

Jeff Shaw, Chairman
Dr. Brian Mitchell                              
John Siebenaler
Andrew Coffman                                 
Michelle Hughes
Jennifer Hubert                                                    
Joan Beaulieu
Will Shevlin                                            
Anne Steib
Kristen Howard                                                     
Frank Smith
Lori Patton                           
Peter Lefkowicz
Carla Homer                         
Shannon Kettering