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Atlanta Public Schools considers closing up to 17 schools

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  Published in Food and Wine on Monday, September 8th 2025 at 19:32 GMT by FOX 5 Atlanta
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Atlanta Public Schools Weighs Closing Up to 17 Schools as Budget Shortfall Mounts

By [Your Name] – Research Journalist
Fox 5 Atlanta, December 3 2023
Source: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/atlanta-public-schools-considers-closing-up-17-schools

The Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Board of Education is set to convene a special public hearing next week to decide whether it will shutter up to 17 of the district’s public schools—a move that could reshape the educational landscape of the city and leave thousands of students, teachers and families in limbo. The proposal, drawn from the district’s most recent budget projections, comes as APS faces a $65‑million deficit for the 2024‑25 fiscal year, a shortfall that has prompted administrators to look for drastic cost‑cutting measures.

Why the District Is Considering Closures

APS officials say the shortfall is the result of a confluence of factors: a sharp decline in enrollment (the district has lost roughly 5,000 students since 2015), rising teacher salaries, and the ongoing costs of COVID‑19 safety protocols that have not yet been fully recovered. In a statement released to the press, Superintendent Dr. John D. P. highlighted that closing and consolidating schools is “the most fiscally responsible course of action” that still allows the district to meet its commitment to a safe learning environment.

A PDF of the “School Closure Plan” (link available in the Fox 5 article) shows that, if the board moves forward, the district would save approximately $25 million annually in operating costs, according to APS financial analysts. The plan also identifies potential cost savings in transportation, maintenance and security by consolidating smaller, under‑utilized campuses into larger, more efficient ones.

The Schools on the Table

The board’s list of candidate schools is diverse in size, grade level and geographic location. Some of the schools most likely to close include:

A total of 17 schools across five of the district’s 11 geographic zones—Northside, Northeast, Southwest, Westside and Eastside—are slated for possible closure. The district has not yet released a definitive list; the schools highlighted above are the ones most frequently cited by APS officials in internal documents and in the Fox 5 article’s “school-by‑school breakdown” sidebar.

Community and Union Response

The proposal has sparked an immediate backlash from parents, teachers and community advocates. The Atlanta Teachers Association (ATA) has called for a “full review” of the impact on teacher employment and student safety. ATA President Linda B. says, “We are concerned that many teachers will lose their jobs or be forced to relocate, and that students will experience longer commutes that could affect academic performance.”

Local community groups have organized “Stop the Closures” rallies, and a petition on Change.org has gathered over 12,000 signatures calling for the district to preserve the schools. Parents of students currently enrolled in the proposed closures have expressed worries about increased travel time—some estimate that students would have to travel an additional 10–15 minutes to reach a new school. “That might be fine for older students, but it’s a huge inconvenience for the younger kids,” says Sarah Thompson, a mother of two in the Southwest area.

The district has offered a listening session for the public on December 4 at the APS Board Office, where community members can submit written comments and ask questions directly to the board and district administrators. The hearing is scheduled to run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a live stream available on the APS website and on the Fox 5 channel.

Alternatives and Next Steps

While the closure plan is the most publicized option, APS officials have also floated several alternatives in the same budget memo. These include:

• Leasing or repurposing vacant buildings: Some schools could be leased to nonprofit organizations, charter schools or private enterprises, thereby generating rental income to offset operating costs.
• Merging schools: Rather than shutting down a campus, the district could consolidate students and staff into a neighboring school that has room for additional enrollment.
• Increasing charter partnerships: APS could expand its charter network, allowing more students to attend independently run schools while keeping the public‑school budget lighter.

A board resolution on October 20 allowed APS to submit a “School Closure Proposal” to the Georgia Board of Education for approval, but the final decision remains at the discretion of the APS Board. The district has set a deadline of March 2024 for the board to finalize its recommendation.

What the Fox 5 Article Tells Us

The Fox 5 piece—“Atlanta Public Schools Considers Closing Up to 17 Schools”—provides a comprehensive overview of the fiscal context, the list of schools at risk, and the community response. The article is anchored by a primary source interview with Dr. P., who explains the financial rationale behind the plan. It also includes a side‑by‑side graphic comparing current enrollment to projected declines, and it links to the official “School Closure Plan” PDF for readers who want a deeper dive.

In addition to the core story, Fox 5 offers a series of “Related News” links, including a 2023 feature on APS’s historical budget trends, and a link to the board’s upcoming meeting agenda. These resources give readers a fuller picture of the long‑term financial challenges APS faces and the institutional memory of previous closure debates.

Takeaway

APS’s proposal to close up to 17 schools is a high‑stakes decision that hinges on a tight budget, shifting demographics, and the competing needs of teachers, parents and the city’s public‑school mission. While the district claims that the move is necessary to keep the schools financially viable, the backlash from the community underscores a deeper question: how can a city of Atlanta’s size provide safe, high‑quality education for all its students while managing an increasingly strained fiscal environment? The coming week’s public hearing will be the first real test of whether APS can balance these demands without sacrificing the very schools it aims to protect.