Cross Keys moving to old Briarcliff High site (Atlanta, Tucker: apartment complexes, homes)

[jeoff]

https://www.reporternewspapers.net/2...iff-high-site/

Across from Target on Druid Hills Rd—it’s already a mess of traffic—probably result in a rezone from Druid Hills High.

[Iconographer]

Yep. A classmate from the Class of 73 called me today to ask me if I wanted a brick from my old Alma Mater. She was trespassing and collecting memorabilia from the old building after last night's meeting.
Yet another example of the DCSS Board forging ahead with the blessings of ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ELSE INVOLVED.

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

Yep. A classmate from the Class of 73 called me today to ask me if I wanted a brick from my old Alma Mater. She was trespassing and collecting memorabilia from the old building after last night's meeting.
Yet another example of the DCSS Board forging ahead with the blessings of ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ELSE INVOLVED.

Lots of people have been involved. And that building wasn't worth saving -- though I know the alumni wish it were.

It was apparently the only affordable option (the other best option was to buy some apartment complexes and homes adjoining the current Cross Keys high school. City of Brookhaven apparently thought it could be affordable-- the school system didn't.

Projected opening isn't till August 2022 and I expect redistricting that will affect all three clusters -- Lakeside, Cross Keys and Druid hills

[jeoff]

I was actually offered a teaching job there in the early-mid 90s when it was Dekalb’s “Open Campus”, but I had just accepted a job at McNair High, so I turned it down.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

Yep. A classmate from the Class of 73 called me today to ask me if I wanted a brick from my old Alma Mater. She was trespassing and collecting memorabilia from the old building after last night's meeting.
Yet another example of the DCSS Board forging ahead with the blessings of ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ELSE INVOLVED.

Originally Posted by jeoff

https://www.reporternewspapers.net/2...iff-high-site/

Across from Target on Druid Hills Rd—it’s already a mess of traffic—probably result in a rezone from Druid Hills High.

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

Lots of people have been involved. And that building wasn't worth saving -- though I know the alumni wish it were.

It was apparently the only affordable option (the other best option was to buy some apartment complexes and homes adjoining the current Cross Keys high school. City of Brookhaven apparently thought it could be affordable-- the school system didn't.

Projected opening isn't till August 2022 and I expect redistricting that will affect all three clusters -- Lakeside, Cross Keys and Druid hills

When I first saw this, I thought, "This is going to be a political nightmare!" {reminiscent of the mess around the Hillgrove High redistricting that involved McEachern High and Kennesaw Mountain High--that did NOT turn out well}

However, the more I think about it, if they involve Chamblee High along with Cross Keys, Lakeside, Druid Hills (and maybe even Tucker), I think there is a chance--with careful redistricting--to make four or five strong high schools.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by aries4118

When I first saw this, I thought, "This is going to be a political nightmare!" {reminiscent of the mess around the Hillgrove High redistricting that involved McEachern High and Kennesaw Mountain High--that did NOT turn out well}

However, the more I think about it, if they involve Chamblee High along with Cross Keys, Lakeside, Druid Hills (and maybe even Tucker), I think there is a chance--with careful redistricting--to make four or five strong high schools.

My early recommendation...

Center each high school cluster around at least one strong, not-likely-to-ever-go-down-anymore elementary school:

Cross Keys --> Ashford Park
Chamblee --> Montgomery (along with Huntley Hills)
Druid Hills --> Fernbank (along with Laurel Ridge)
Lakeside --> Oak Grove (along with Briarlake and Hawthorne)
Tucker --> Evansdale (along with Livsey and Henderson Mill)


*Notice the other strong elementary schools that I did not list. The unlisted are more likely to get redistricted--if I did not already designate it as a "redistricting" above.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by jeoff

https://www.reporternewspapers.net/2...iff-high-site/

Across from Target on Druid Hills Rd—it’s already a mess of traffic—probably result in a rezone from Druid Hills High.

Originally Posted by Iconographer

Yep. A classmate from the Class of 73 called me today to ask me if I wanted a brick from my old Alma Mater. She was trespassing and collecting memorabilia from the old building after last night's meeting.
Yet another example of the DCSS Board forging ahead with the blessings of ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ELSE INVOLVED.

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

Lots of people have been involved. And that building wasn't worth saving -- though I know the alumni wish it were.

It was apparently the only affordable option (the other best option was to buy some apartment complexes and homes adjoining the current Cross Keys high school. City of Brookhaven apparently thought it could be affordable-- the school system didn't.

Projected opening isn't till August 2022 and I expect redistricting that will affect all three clusters -- Lakeside, Cross Keys and Druid hills

And since it will be moved, the new high school should be called Briarcliff High and the new middle school should be called Cross Keys Middle.

In this case, with all of the redistricting to be involved, a re-branding of the high school would be wise--well really, a must.

[jeoff]

Funny, this will put two Dekalb County High Schools in the area that was under serious consideration for annexation into the City of Atlanta a few years back.

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by aries4118

My early recommendation...

Center each high school cluster around at least one strong, not-likely-to-ever-go-down-anymore elementary school:

Cross Keys --> Ashford Park
Chamblee --> Montgomery (along with Huntley Hills)
Druid Hills --> Fernbank (along with Laurel Ridge)
Lakeside --> Oak Grove (along with Briarlake and Hawthorne)
Tucker --> Evansdale (along with Livsey and Henderson Mill)


*Notice the other strong elementary schools that I did not list. The unlisted are more likely to get redistricted--if I did not already designate it as a "redistricting" above.

Want some inside scoop (not really inside cause it isn't a secret, but ...)

When the decision was made that by the current Superintendent that he was going to change things at Cross Keys he met with parents from Ashford Park Elementary School. (APES went to CK High School until the early 2000s when parents advocated for it to be moved to Chamblee) Dr. Green told them they would be at the new CK High School. That community has been working for 1.5 years to build community support for this and help design a school that would work well for all students. (As your probably know CKHS is mostly immigrants whose parents don't speak English at home. It is a challenging student population with a dedicated teaching staff.)

But now all heck is breaking lose. the new location is horrible for the families West of I-85. It wasn't what the Super promised and it doesn't fix the myriad of problems with the CKHS attendance zone.

I wouldn't buy stock in this location just yet-- I suspect that is going to be a mighty lot of pushback in the next few weeks.

so much more I could type, but that is some of the current mess in a nutshell

[bu2]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

Want some inside scoop (not really inside cause it isn't a secret, but ...)

When the decision was made that by the current Superintendent that he was going to change things at Cross Keys he met with parents from Ashford Park Elementary School. (APES went to CK High School until the early 2000s when parents advocated for it to be moved to Chamblee) Dr. Green told them they would be at the new CK High School. That community has been working for 1.5 years to build community support for this and help design a school that would work well for all students. (As your probably know CKHS is mostly immigrants whose parents don't speak English at home. It is a challenging student population with a dedicated teaching staff.)

But now all heck is breaking lose. the new location is horrible for the families West of I-85. It wasn't what the Super promised and it doesn't fix the myriad of problems with the CKHS attendance zone.

I wouldn't buy stock in this location just yet-- I suspect that is going to be a mighty lot of pushback in the next few weeks.

so much more I could type, but that is some of the current mess in a nutshell

"...The DeKalb Board of Education approved building the new Cross Keys High School at the former Briarcliff High School site on North Druid Hills Road despite opposition from the three board members closest to the area....

Thousands live on the north and west side of I-85. We’d be pushing them through what has historically been ranked one of the ten worst transportation corridors in metro Atlanta,” Orson said...."


It is really difficult getting across I-85 to the attendance zone. And a good part of the attendance zone is around Doraville, which is even more difficult.

Cross Keys is an obviously gerrymandered zone to keep all the Hispanics together. Building a 1500 seat middle school with a 2500 seat HS is a way to make that permanent. That means you keep Doraville kids going across the county and passing around the Chamblee zone. I would think they would win a lawsuit if anybody tried. There's nothing logical about the zone except as a way to segregate the Hispanics.