Toomer Elementary (Reynolds, White: new house, neighborhoods, buyers)

[Forhall]

Originally Posted by cqholt

APS announces proposed closure of Whitefoord ES, redistricting of kids to Toomer ES and Burgess Peterson Academy.

Strategic Plan / Toomer Elementary

Wow, well that's very unfair. Property values in that area have been climbing mainly because Toomer is doing very well and the area is getting affluent. Rezoning Whitefoord, a predominantly lower income and low performing school, is going to really bring down the average. Anyone waiting for their property values to shoot up when Toomer is at a 8 or 9 on Great Schools just got kneecapped by APS. Adding in Whitefoord probably keeps Toomer at no higher than 5 for many years.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Forhall

Wow, well that's very unfair. Property values in that area have been climbing mainly because Toomer is doing very well and the area is getting affluent. Rezoning Whitefoord, a predominantly lower income and low performing school, is going to really bring down the average. Anyone waiting for their property values to shoot up when Toomer is at a 8 or 9 on Great Schools just got kneecapped by APS. Adding in Whitefoord probably keeps Toomer at no higher than 5 for many years.

All the real estates sell homes here as Drew anyway.

[Forhall]

Originally Posted by cqholt

All the real estates sell homes here as Drew anyway.

Which isn't really accurate and it's easy to dig and see that isn't guaranteed.

This school program may set the process of gentrfication there back quite a bit.

[Dkeating]

I think it will delay the gentrification of Toomer somewhat, but if ECA closed that would turbocharge gentrification. I think the middle-class parents who are considering Toomer now probably rely less on average test scores than reports from other middle-class parents whose kids are there about their experiences.

[travbo]

Originally Posted by Forhall

Wow, well that's very unfair. Property values in that area have been climbing mainly because Toomer is doing very well and the area is getting affluent. Rezoning Whitefoord, a predominantly lower income and low performing school, is going to really bring down the average. Anyone waiting for their property values to shoot up when Toomer is at a 8 or 9 on Great Schools just got kneecapped by APS. Adding in Whitefoord probably keeps Toomer at no higher than 5 for many years.

This is completely inaccurate. Whitefoord Elementary, while currently predominantly lower income is NOT a low performing school. In fact, Toomer Elementary is the local elementary listed as a low-performing institution by the state of Georgia Department of Education.

In addition, just as the Kirkwood community is seeing real estate prices rise and new household formation, Edgewood is seeing the same amount of family and household formation by higher income households. As a member of the Edgewood community and supporter of both the Edgewood and Kirkwood neighborhoods and schools I believe it as our duty to fight APS on this very strongly.

If we fail to do so i believe we are going to see an overcrowded Toomer come 2018 and by 2020 you will likely see APS regretting a decision to close Whitefoord Elementary.

Many of the demographic data that the APS is using is dated. I was speaking to the past president of the Edgewood Neighborhood and the information that APS is using to indicate student aged population shows that a 1 block radius from him has 0 kids, while that was true 5 years ago the same block radius now has 20 kids aged 0-3. That's just a single block among many.

My wife and I live on Whitefoord Avenue just blocks from the school and are expecting our first child this March. The APS should simply understand that things are changing very rapidly and utilize the current data that is available to the public. Our unborn child is on 5 daycare waiting list with no known ETA on when we may get added to a roster.

Whitefoord should remain OPEN.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by travbo

This is completely inaccurate. Whitefoord Elementary, while currently predominantly lower income is NOT a low performing school. In fact, Toomer Elementary is the local elementary listed as a low-performing institution by the state of Georgia Department of Education.

In addition, just as the Kirkwood community is seeing real estate prices rise and new household formation, Edgewood is seeing the same amount of family and household formation by higher income households. As a member of the Edgewood community and supporter of both the Edgewood and Kirkwood neighborhoods and schools I believe it as our duty to fight APS on this very strongly.

If we fail to do so i believe we are going to see an overcrowded Toomer come 2018 and by 2020 you will likely see APS regretting a decision to close Whitefoord Elementary.

Many of the demographic data that the APS is using is dated. I was speaking to the past president of the Edgewood Neighborhood and the information that APS is using to indicate student aged population shows that a 1 block radius from him has 0 kids, while that was true 5 years ago the same block radius now has 20 kids aged 0-3. That's just a single block among many.

My wife and I live on Whitefoord Avenue just blocks from the school and are expecting our first child this March. The APS should simply understand that things are changing very rapidly and utilize the current data that is available to the public. Our unborn child is on 5 daycare waiting list with no known ETA on when we may get added to a roster.

Whitefoord should remain OPEN.

The closure may not be permanent, as we see APS is bring Howard HS back online. If the demographics show residents are sending their kids to APS schools, then Whitefoord could be re-opened. But currently there are some who opt for charter or private (especially middle school) so much that Coan was severely under-enrolled, which led to it's closure. I hope this merger also comes with increased resources, as the student population will significantly increase as well.

[Dkeating]

Originally Posted by travbo

This is completely inaccurate. Whitefoord Elementary, while currently predominantly lower income is NOT a low performing school. In fact, Toomer Elementary is the local elementary listed as a low-performing institution by the state of Georgia Department of Education.

Both are low-performing schools by the DOE's definition (CCRPI of 62 or less). https://gosa.georgia.gov/sso-low-per...chool-criteria


Whitefoord's CCRPI is higher than Toomer's but it got a lot more progress points than Toomer. Toomer's achievement points are higher.

[Dkeating]

Isn't the Coan building currently vacant? It seems like having a shortage of school space in those neighborhoods is still a far way off.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by Dkeating

Isn't the Coan building currently vacant? It seems like having a shortage of school space in those neighborhoods is still a far way off.

APS also recently formed a committee to develop a plan regarding what to do about the 70 or so vacant properties. So sure, it might available 5 years from now, or it might be a Trader Joe's and 6 dozen Townhomes.

[travbo]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The closure may not be permanent, as we see APS is bring Howard HS back online. If the demographics show residents are sending their kids to APS schools, then Whitefoord could be re-opened. But currently there are some who opt for charter or private (especially middle school) so much that Coan was severely under-enrolled, which led to it's closure. I hope this merger also comes with increased resources, as the student population will significantly increase as well.

Yes, many in the Reynoldstown are choosing private/charter schools. The Whitefoord closure is being pushed and celebrated by that community even though only a handful of individuals in that community currently support public schools. They are basically holding APS hostage by saying they want their kids in Burgess Peterson or else. It's so self defeating that i just don't comprehend. It's also completely gerrymandering of the school districts.

My greatest concern about the potential Whitefoord closure is the perception it will have on young families choosing communities to reside in and the fact that Edgewood will have yet another empty school building with the potential to be neglected.