Emory pursuing annexation into Atlanta (Decatur, North Decatur: dental, high quality, jobs)

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Ours are at Oak Grove and it seems to be excellent. We've had other children and grandchildren attend several of the top public and private schools in the city of Atlanta and I get the impression Oak Grove would hold its own.

Oak Grove, Fernbank, Lin, Morningside are all top notch. But, in reference to the Emory annexation, I believe that the area north of North Deacatur Rd is zoned for Briar Vista, and unincorporated Dekalb County neighborhoods zoned for that school have asked to be annexed to Atlanta because of the perceived difference in school quality, and most rating sites have Inman Middle as much higher rated than DHMS.

(FWIW, I think the middle school and high school that Oak Grove feeds into are very good for intown public schools, also).

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by bu2

Don't remember where I saw it, but Inman gets a smaller % of Morningside ES kids than DHMS gets of Fernbank ES kids. I know the Fernbank parents who send their kids there are VERY involved at DHMS.
Inman is just too small for the area it covers and has a limited footprint. DHMS is a former high school (Shamrock) that got merged into DHHS, so its a nice facility.

All things considered, Inman does a pretty good job of making it work. You wouldn’t think it’s optional, but it is kind of nice that Inman has some of its concerts up the street at Grady, and the Ultimate teams play their home games at Piedmont Park. It is a city school, and it feels like part of the city.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by jeoff

Oak Grove, Fernbank, Lin, Morningside are all top notch. But, in reference to the Emory annexation, I believe that the area north of North Deacatur Rd is zoned for Briar Vista, and unincorporated Dekalb County neighborhoods zoned for that school have asked to be annexed to Atlanta because of the perceived difference in school quality, and most rating sites have Inman Middle as much higher rated than DHMS.

(FWIW, I think the middle school and high school that Oak Grove feeds into are very good for intown public schools, also).

LaVista Park and Biltmore Estates (the main feeder areas for BriarVista Elementary) were vehemently opposed to annexation going into the 2015 election.I have seen no evidence that has changed.

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

LaVista Park and Biltmore Estates (the main feeder areas for BriarVista Elementary) were vehemently opposed to annexation going into the 2015 election.I have seen no evidence that has changed.

As far as I know, the only vote there has ever been is on the creation of a new city, not annexation to CoA. As far as neighborhoods’s actual actions go—Edmund Park asked to be annexed, and was, as have rows of other individual homes in Morningside, and, one way or another, Dekalb County has said that a continuation of that trend is a concern.

(I think that the neighborhoods that you mentioned *may* have reasons other than public school quality to stay in Dekalb).

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by jeoff

Ednumnd Park asked to be annexed, and was, as have rows of other individual homes in Morningside, and, one way or another, Dekalb County has said that a continuation of that trend is a concern.

The Edmund Park annexation made sense, as it is essentially an extension of Morningside.
I attended the 2014/2015 meetings when annexation and new cityhood were on the table for North Druid Hills. I also helped collect and collate the survey data. One of the areas that expressed the strongest opposition to both was LaVista Park, another was Biltmore Estates. The biggest issue with them was the lack of assurance by the city that their tax burden would not profoundly change. Alex Wan's typical response to their inquiries was a casual shrugging of the shoulders.

[whodean]

Older unincorporated Dekalb citizens are worried about losing school tax exemptions. Younger ones are rightly worried about Dekalb County schools failing their children.

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

The Edmund Park annexation made sense, as it is essentially an extension of Morningside.
I attended the 2014/2015 meetings when annexation and new cityhood were on the table for North Druid Hills. I also helped collect and collate the survey data. One of the areas that expressed the strongest opposition to both was LaVista Park, another was Biltmore Estates. The biggest issue with them was the lack of assurance by the city that their tax burden would not profoundly change. Alex Wan's typical response to their inquiries was a casual shrugging of the shoulders.

Originally Posted by whodean

Older unincorporated Dekalb citizens are worried about losing school tax exemptions. Younger ones are rightly worried about Dekalb County schools failing their children.

Also, isn’t that area walking distance to the local Orthodox synagogue? It would be understandable if that the orthodox community does not see a need for change in an area that is working well for them, especially if many would opt for religious private schools over public schools in any case. —none of this suggests that folks want to stay in unincorporated Dekalb County *because* they think Briar Vista is superior (I don’t know that BV is a bad school, but I do believe the MS annexation requests are based on the belief that SPARK/Inman is better, as opposed to some nebulous “uniting the neighborhood” thing.)

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by jeoff

Also, isn’t that area walking distance to the local Orthodox synagogue? It would be understandable if that the orthodox community does not see a need for change in an area that is working well for them, especially if many would opt for religious private schools over public schools in any case. —none of this suggests that folks want to stay in unincorporated Dekalb County *because* they think Briar Vista is superior (I don’t know that BV is a bad school, but I do believe the MS annexation requests are based on the belief that SPARK/Inman is better, as opposed to some nebulous “uniting the neighborhood” thing.)

Yes, you hit the nail on the head. The Orthodox community in Biltmore Estates and Merry Hills are ambivalent to school quality (except to the extent that it impacts home values and property taxes) since practically everyone avails themselves of the parochial schools.
I don't sense strong opposition to BriarVista, except that it is not perceived as being on the same level as its peers (Fernbank, Morningside, Sagamore and Oak Grove). Some of this has to do with the presence of ESL and low-income families within the district, especially in the heavily subsidized apartment complexes along the Briarcliff corridor.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

It will be a joint project, with DeKalb pitching in tons of funds when they get their tax situation figured out as well.



It is, and always has been, a jointly funded project. The City of Atlanta is not paying for the entire route, just the first half. DeKalb will be paying for the rest.

These comments about this being a true jointly funded project are a bit misleading. Especially considering the proportion of the line that is in Dekalb and the proportion of funding that will come from the CoA. Atlanta will be covering over 50% of the total local funding of the entire Clifton Corridor project, while only 2 of 12 stations are in the CoA as it stands (and when the tax was passed).

Atlanta is being made to cover an extremely disproportionate amount of the cost of this line.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

These comments about this being a true jointly funded project are a bit misleading. Especially considering the proportion of the line that is in Dekalb and the proportion of funding that will come from the CoA. Atlanta will be covering over 50% of the total local funding of the entire Clifton Corridor project, while only 2 of 12 stations are in the CoA as it stands (and when the tax was passed).

Atlanta is being made to cover an extremely disproportionate amount of the cost of this line.

Yet the CoA will get a tremendous benefit of having a direct rail connection to the Emory/CDC area. In my opinion, it's worth it.