Agenda Item
c. First Read: Attendance Area Adjustment to Relieve Overcrowding at Idlewood Elementary School (SY 2025-2026) ~ Updated 1.13.2025
Summary: Presented by: Dr. Triscilla Weaver, Chief of Access & Opportunity, Division of Access & Opportunity
Mr. Erick Hofstetter, Chief Operating Officer, Division of Operations
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education (“the Board”) approve the proposed elementary school attendance areas, effective July 1, 2025 for the 2025-2026 school year, as shown in the Elementary School Attendance Areas Map (dated 1/13/2025).
Why: The proposed elementary school attendance areas include an attendance area adjustment which would move an estimated 400 students from Idlewood Elementary School to Smoke Rise Elementary School. The proposed move would relieve overcrowding at Idlewood ES and provide adequate space within the Idlewood facility to progress with the major renovation of Idlewood while reducing disruption to instruction.
The approval of this request meets Strategic Goal Area 6: Organizational Excellence
Details: In January 2023, the Board approved a major renovation of the Idlewood facility, with an architect and a construction manager approved in February 2024. Idlewood Elementary School is currently 100+ students over capacity with twelve (12) existing portable classrooms. Proceeding with a major renovation without reducing the number of students, would require at least an additional twelve (12) portable classrooms. This would likely extend the construction schedule, adding significant additional cost to the project and disruption to Idlewood students and staff.
Smoke Rise Elementary has over 400 hundred available seats and is in the same middle and high school cluster as Idlewood ES.
Approval of the proposed elementary attendance areas would move an estimated 400 students from Idlewood Elementary to Smoke Rise elementary, reducing Idlewood’s capacity utilization from 115% to around 60%. This would provide adequate space within the Idlewood facility to progress with the major renovation of Idlewood while reducing disruption to instruction.
Financial impact: The attendance area adjustment from Idlewood ES to Smoke Rise ES will have no direct cost to DCSD and is expected to significantly reduce the final cost to renovate the Idlewood facility.
Contact: Mr. Erick Hofstetter, Chief Operating Officer, Division of Operations, 678.676.1470
Mr. Hans Williams, Director, Planning & E-SPLOST Programming, Divison of Operations, 678-676-1588
Dr. Triscilla Weaver, Chief of Access & Opportunity, Division of Access & Opportunity
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
CHRONOLOGY OF THE AGENDA ITEM
Attendance Area Adjustment -
Idlewood Elementary School to Smokerise Elementary School
Scope:
Attendance Area Adjustment - Idlewood Elementary School to Smokerise
Elementary School- to relieve overcrowding and facilitate the facility
renovation of Idlewood Elementary School.
Period of Adjustment
This request is for approval of proposed elementary school attendance areas
for the 2025-2026 school year as contemplated by the Elementary School
Attendance Areas Map (1/13/2025) effective July 1, 2025.
Background
In January 2023 the Board approved a major renovation of the Idlewood facility,
with an architect and a construction manager approved in February 2024.
Idlewood Elementary School is currently 100+ students over capacity with twelve
(12) existing portable classrooms. Proceeding with a major renovation without
reducing the number of students, would require at least an additional twelve (12)
portable classrooms. This would likely extend the construction schedule, adding
significant additional cost to the project and disruption to Idlewood students and
staff.
Public meetings to discuss options to relieve overcrowding at Idlewood were held on
December 5, 2024, December 17, 2024, and January 9, 2025. Based on feedback
from these meetings the recommendation is to redistrict a portion of the Idlewood
attendance area to Smoke Rise Elementary School. Smoke Rise Elementary has
over four hundred available seats and is in the same middle and high school cluster
as Idlewood ES.
Approval of the proposed elementary attendance areas would move an estimated
400 students from Idlewood Elementary to Smoke Rise elementary, reducing
Idlewood’s capacity utilization from 115% to around 60%.