ANIMOSITY: Fulton County refuses to give Dunwoody Panhandle (Dunwoody in Sandy Springs, 30350) its own elementary school (Roswell: apartment complexes)

[YelloCherry99]

I cannot beleive Fulton County won't let the Dunwoody Panhandle have its own elementary school in the form of Dunwoody Springs Elem.

(The Dunwoody Panhandle is the portion of Sandy Springs traditionally considered to be Dunwoody. Its zip code is 30350. Its borders are the Chattahoochee River on the north, DeKalb County/Dunwoody on the south, Gwinnett County/Peachtree Corners on the east, and GA 400 on the west).

The community along Roswell Road that shares Dunwoody Springs (DSE) with the Dunwoody Panhandle is uber-transient. I have a neighbor who uses D.S.E., and she said her child's class in August was completely different than what it was in May due to the transience.

However, the biggest tragedy is the children in the Roswell Rd. community not being able to walk to DSE, as they would have to cross 400 with no sidewalks, while they would have a very pleasant walk to Ison Springs Elem.

Lastly, there would be many benefits to the Dunwoody Panhandle itself. First, the Dunwoody Panhandle is comprised mostly of single-family homes, but there are also condo/townhome communities and three apartment complexes. This would create a diverse mix in the school's student body.

Secondly, it would build community identity that is sorely lacking. There is no public institution for this community to rally around. We are officially part of Sandy Springs, unofficially (and historically) a part of Dunwoody, yet ignored by both. The closest county library is in Downtown Sandy Springs. DSE is the only public institution within our boundaries, but we can't even call it our own.

Lastly, if the school was less transient and more balanced, it would be a very desireable school, since Fulton County schools have an excellent reputation. This would increase home values in the Dunwoody Panhandle, increasing the county's tax base.

It is a win-win for all, and I cannot think of any reason why Fulton County Schools hasn't modified the school districts besides pure hatred towards the residents of this area.

[toll_booth]

Source?

[FSUTAG]

I live in the DSE school district and my son attends first grade. We are contemplating sending him to Spalding Drive Charter next year.

DSE is actually a very good school with the highest test scores of all the elementary schools in the North Springs Cluster and my sons teachers in Kindergarden and First Grade have been excellent. It is an extremely diverse school both racially and socio-economically. It is the socio-economic diversity or lack there of that I struggle with as a parent. Nearly 80% of the student population are on free or reduced lunch. As a middle class family living within the district, I am concerned that my son does not have a significant enough peer group and am concerned about his ability to relate to the other students.

Since Ison Springs opened, the vast majority of the apartments in the area off of Roswell Road now role up to that school. DSE did retain a portion of the apartments off of Dunwoody Place. The redistricting has had little effect on DSE's demographics though and I'm not sure why, but think you will see a shift when this year's demographics are published. More families from the Dunwoody Panhandle are giving the school a try this year, but we need many more to give the school a shot. If the families in the area could come together, we could have a significant impact on the demographics and perception of the school.