Note from Audra: The fact that Fulton County would do this so late in the summer is shocking to me. This is a letter from a friend but I’m going to remove her name to protect the anonymity of her child.
PLEASE HELP! FULTON COUNTY HAS TOLD DEKALB COUNTY MAGNET STUDENTS THAY THEY MAY NOT RETURN TO SCHOOL
Hello Friends ~ Please see below what has transpired over the past couple of days.
As many of you know, My child is a rising Junior at North Springs High School in their Art Magnet Program. She has absolutely thrived at the school and we’ve been so grateful for the stellar arts-focused education she has received upon her acceptance into their Art Magnet Program. As there is none like it within our Dekalb County School District, we have gladly paid the out-of-district tuition to allow her to attend this Fulton County Art & Science Magnet school. And of course we continue to pay Dekalb County Taxes to support the excellence of our district schools.
On Monday, July 2nd, we received a phone call informing us that Fulton County has decided they will not allow currently enrolled Magnet Program students residing in Dekalb County to return to North Springs for the 2018-2019 school year, which begins on August 6th. Obviously, we were devastated at this untimely and inexplicable decision.
So now, we find ourselves in a Catch 22 regarding my child’s education for the upcoming school year, as many other parents of good-standing North Springs Magnet students do as well.
The timing of this mandate by the Fulton County School Board is devastating. To move these kids now is virtually impossible. Public school registrars closed in July and it is simply too late to try and come up with alternate options for my child’s education. There is no opportunity to apply to other Magnet Schools in Dekalb County and Dunwoody High School is closed with no administrators there until August.
Of utmost concern is this: As part of this mandate at the “eleventh hour,” Fulton County has refused to “grandfather in” existing enrolled Magnet students at North Springs who have performed well academically, disciplinarily and whose families are rightfully paying the out-of-county fee to Fulton County required for participation in the Magnet Program.
The Board has, however, in blatant discrimination, agreed to allow out-of-district currently enrolled Senior Magnet students to attend North Springs for the 2018-2019 school year in order to graduate. These Seniors are the ONLY out-of-district students allowed to return to North Springs for the 2018-2019 school year. With this exception,The Board exhibits complete disregard for all the currently enrolled North Springs Magnet Juniors, Sophomores, and accepted and registered Freshmen if they reside in Dekalb County.
As a friend and Dunwoody neighbor, I’m asking for your support – for my child and for the many others like her, who have just received this devastating rejection for no given reason and are at a complete loss of where they can and will receive their continuing High School education.
You can help us, as a Fulton County Neighbor, by requesting that your County School Board and Superintendent revise this recent mandate, to provide a fair and clear option for currently enrolled Dekalb County Magnet underclassmen. My hope is that those in power will reconsider their decision, allowing ALL currently-enrolled Dekalb Magnet students in good standing be grandfathered in, permitting them to remain at North Springs, until their graduation and receipt of their diploma from the school.
Thank you all so much for your help, and rest assured that we will proudly stand up for you and your children, should such an abomination in your school system arise that affects the education of our children so adversely.
* For your convenience, all notable email addresses are provided below, as well as a sample written request. Please help our efforts by forwarding to any and all Fulton County friends. *
Just copy and paste these email addresses into the “To:” field of your email.
stuartk@fultonschools.org, reevesk@fultonschools.org, deang@ fultonschools.org, bryantlp@ fultonschools.org, mccainl@ fultonschools.org, dovek@ fultonschools.org, bernath@ fultonschools.org, superintend ent@fultonschools.org Good day,
My name is _________ and I am a Fulton County resident. I am writing this letter today as a concerned parent and resident of Fulton County, who, like you, deeply values the education of our future citizens.I learned this past Monday, July 2nd, that The Fulton County School Board announced a hasty decision enforcing a restrictive policy regarding the education of our teens and young adult High School students and their families.
The mandate announced that, unlike in years past, The Board will allow only Fulton County Residents to attend North Springs Charter Magnet High School. In doing so, Fulton County representatives notified Dekalb County students already currently enrolled at North Springs High School in the Magnet Program for the 2018-19 school year, by telephone, that they may notreturn to North Springs for the upcoming school year, which begins on August 6th, 2018.
The arbitrary last minute decision of displacing current students, by restricting them from returning to “their school” a month before the start of school, is unexplained, thoughtless and completely unjust to the Dekalb County students already accepted and enrolled at North Springs for the 2018-19 school year.
Most vehemently, announcing this decision a mere month before school starts, leaves these displaced students (whose plans were to return to North Springs in the Magnet Program) with very few options to obtain an acceptable means of education for the upcoming school year and beyond.
I urge The Board to reconsider this limiting and restrictive mandate. Such a drastic change of rules, within any school system, should be openly announced to the parties affected, not only in a timely manner, but should also apply to future students only, not current students and families who have supported the school, trusted in it’s promise to educate their children, and have abided by the school and County rules.
At this critical juncture, time is of the essence. The just and fair thing for The Board to do is act by immediately drafting, approving, passing and announcing a protective grandfather clause; allowing all currently enrolled Dekalb County Magnet students to continue to attend and finish out their High School education at North Springs, provided they remain in good academic and disciplinary standing with the school.As a government official, please remember the strength, value and resolve in the statement “No Child Left Behind” and do the right thing for these students of our neighboring county and community. I look forward to hearing that a fair solution is reached by The Board in a timely manner, so the 2018-19 school year can get off to a smooth, seamless and successful start.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for respecting what should be the highest priority of all in the field of education – the student.
With much respect and hope for the future,
________________________
YOUR FULL NAME
FULTON COUNTY ADDRESS
AND ZIP CODE
