Georgia School Board Problems

County School Boards spend most of their money on building new schools. The Georgia Legislature currently requires new schools to hold 900 students. School Districts use Bonds to fund construction and this doubles the cost of the project.  School Boards are controlled by the District office bureaucracy.

Austin Elementary School is being moved to a new campus next to the current campus and the price tag is $18,421,279.

http://factchecker.stanjester.com/2017/05/7239/

Austin Elementary School in Dunwoody was built and opened in 1975. The building is 43 years old. It holds about 600 students and has been a “neighborhood” school with students from the surrounding subdivisions.  The building has been well maintained and the only reason it is being torn down and replaced for $18.5 million next to its original location is that it does not hold 900 students.

The subdivisions in Dunwoody have gone through one cycle with GenX students in the 1980s and Millennials in the 1990s and now has a third generation enrolled. With each generation, the school population has receded from 600 to 400 as the generations pass to Middle School and then to High School.

Austin Elementary has served the local subdivisions surrounding it and these subdivisions were established in the 1970s. The distance from home in many cases is about 12 blocks.  This is sufficient to allow students to walk, bike or be driven to school. A 50% expansion of the student population will extend out another 12 blocks and could result in adding school bus routes.

In 1988, the “Middle School” was born and that cut the population of Austin down by sending grades 6 through 8 to middle school located 2 miles away. This was another dumb move designed to destroy the “neighborhood school” concept.

Bonds are another problem.  School Systems fund build schools by selling Bonds.  A 30 year Bond at 5% interest costs double. So instead of the $20 million stated cost, there is another $20 million in interest payments over 30 years.

I received a first rate 1-8 elementary education at Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Maplewood Mo. a St. Louis county suburb and graduated in 1957.  The school was built in 1906 and was operational until 1971 when it closed because of declining enrollment. It was well built and has been well maintained and updated and was 65 years old when it closed. My mom, 3 aunts and 8 uncles attended this school

I went on to receive a first rate high school education at Christian Brother College Military High School and graduated in 1961.  The school was established in 1850. It moved and expanded to Clayton Mo.in 1922. My Dad and all of my uncles attended CBC. In 2003 the building and campus were 81 years old and was sold to Washington University and is still in good use. In 2003, CBC moved to a new expanded campus in west county at the intersection if I-64 and I-270.

I went on to receive a first rate college education at St. Louis University and graduated in 1965. This was also the “family school” for all my uncles.  The school was established in 1818. I attended classes in 80 year old classrooms. Iconic DuBourg Hall was built in 1888. It was 77 years old when I graduated. It was updated and well maintained. It is now 130 years old.

Don’t tell me that kids can’t get a good education in 100 year old school buildings. It’s cheaper to maintain, expand and upgrade these buildings than it is to tear them down and rebuild.

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Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader