Skip To Main Content

Logo Image

Dekalb County School District

Logo Title

DeKalb County School District

Engagement Session 2 closed at 11:59pm on October 5. Engagement Session 3 will open on October 27. 

Strengthening Opportunity for Every DeKalb Student

Together, we're shaping what's next for student opportunity.

Across DeKalb County, something exciting is happening. For years, our community has invested in new schools, expanded campuses, and stronger learning environments. Beginning Fall of 2027, those investments will come to life as new and expanded schools open their doors for students. 

Today, we're continuing the Student Assignment Project and thoughtfully preparing for it in new, more collaborative ways. 

This fall we are focused on overcrowded schools in the Lakeside, Cross Keys, Chamblee, Tucker, Dunwoody, and Druid Hills Clusters impacted by the new and expanded schools opening from 2027-29, which include: Dresden Elementary, Cross Keys High School, Sequoyah Middle School, Sequoyah High School, Idlewood Elementary School and the addition of a new high school cluster.  

Following this work, we will then focus on under-enrolled schools in the Towers, McNair, Cedar Grove, Miller Grove, Columbia, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Clusters in January 2027. 

Both overcrowded and under-enrolled schools matter equally, because our north star hasn't changed: strengthening opportunity for every DeKalb student. 

Timeline

Dates   Milestone
Aug. 26 - Sept. 9
COMPLETED

Engagement Session 1: Define Goals, Process, Expectations 
Sept. 21 - Oct. 6
COMPLETED

Engagement Session 2: Consider Multiple Options
• Meeting of Community Advisory Teams - September 29 and October 1
• Public Comment Sessions  - September 22 and September 24 
 Tucker Cluster Public Comment Session 2 Report
Cross Keys Cluster Public Comment Session 2 Report 
• Online Public Survey - Closed October 5
• Online Focus Groups Available - Stakeholders will be able to sign up for focus groups once they have completed the survey. 

Oct. 27 - Nov. 12

 

 Engagement Session 3: Refine Options
• Meeting of Community Advisory Teams - November 10 and November 12
• Public Comment Sessions - November 4 (Druid Hills Middle School) and November 5 (Dunwoody High School) 6pm-8pm
• Online Public Survey - Opens October 27, Closes November 10
• Online Focus Groups Available - Stakeholders will be able to sign up for focus groups once they have completed the survey. 

Click here to view the Student Assignment Project September Board Presentation.  

3 Ways to Provide Feedback for Engagement Session 3

Share your voice. Help shape the future of Student Assignment. 

A hand clicks on a checkbox on a laptop screen, with speech bubbles showing people and a checkmark in the background.

Online Surveys: Open to everyone in the district. 

Survey opens on October 27 and closes November 11.

 

A hand clicks on a checklist on a laptop screen, with a group of people in speech bubbles above, and a checkmark in a speech bubble to the side, all outlined in a dotted circle.

 Focus Groups: After completing the online survey, you can sign up to be part of an online focus group. Focus groups will meet at their designated time slot. (9am, 11am, 4pm, 7pm)


Thurs. September 21
Fri. September 25
Mon. September 28
Tues. September 29
Wed. September 30
Thurs. October 1
Fri. October 2
Tues. October 6

 Public Comment:  These meetings were open to anyone in the district and followed the same format of the public comment portion of the Board of Education Meetings.  Meetings were held from 6pm to 8pm. 

Wednesday, November 4 - Druid Hills, Lakeside, and Tucker Clusters 
(Druid Hills Middle School)

Thursday, November 5 - Chamblee, Dunwoody, and Cross Keys Clusters
(Dunwoody High School)

 

 

Why This Work Matters

As DeKalb continues to evolve, enrollment patterns have shifted across our district. Some schools are serving more students than they were designed for. Others have room to grow into deeper program offerings and expanded opportunities. Both situations affect the student experience, and both deserve thoughtful, community-informed planning.

Right-Sized Learning Spaces

Every student deserves a school built for the number of students it serves, with room for programs, flexibility, and growth. 

Full Access to Opportunity

Every student deserves full access to academic programs, extracurriculars, and enrichment, regardless of enrollment size.

Our goal is simple: Every student deserves access to a fully resourced, program-rich school close to home.

Why These Clusters First?

New and expanded schools are set to open their doors beginning in 2027 and continuing through 2029, and a new high school cluster will need to be created. DeKalb can use this new capacity to thoughtfully strengthen attendance patterns across schools experiencing long-term enrollment changes — expanding opportunity for students in growing communities and strengthening opportunity for students in communities with room to grow. 

The Six Clusters — Fall 2026 Conversation 

(Now through October) 

A colorful map divides a region into distinct areas labeled Dunwoody, Lakeside, Tucker, Chamblee, Cross Keys, and Druid Hills, with smaller black dots scattered throughout, against a white background.

 

 

This fall, we're engaging six school clusters experiencing overcrowding. A cluster includes a high school, the middle school(s) that feed into it, and the elementary schools that feed into those middle schools.

 

Dunwoody Cluster

A light green map of Dunwoody, Georgia, with several schools marked by black dots, is set against a white background.

Austin ES 
Chesnut ES 
Dunwoody ES 
Hightower ES 
Kingsley ES 
Vanderlyn ES 
Peachtree MS 
Dunwoody HS 

Tucker Cluster

Brockett ES 
Idlewood ES 
Livsey ES 
Midvale ES 
Smoke Rise ES 
Tucker MS 
Tucker HS 

Chamblee Cluster

Ashford Park ES
Doraville United ES
Huntley Hills ES
Montgomery ES
Chamblee MS
Chamblee HS

Lakeside Cluster

An orange-shaded map of the Lakeside school district is displayed against a white background, with black dots marking various schools within its boundaries.

Briarlake ES 
Evansdale ES 
Hawthorne ES 
Henderson Mill ES 
Oak Grove ES 
Pleasantdale ES 
Sagamore Hills ES 
Henderson MS 
Lakeside HS

Cross Keys Cluster

Cary Reynolds ES
Dresden ES 
John Lewis ES
Montclair ES 
Woodward ES
Sequoyah MS 
Cross Keys HS 

Druid Hills Cluster

Avondale ES
Briar Vista ES 
Fernbank ES
Laurel Ridge ES 
McLendon ES 
Druid Hills MS
Druid Hills HS 

New and Expanded Schools

Beginning in 2027, new and expanded schools start welcoming students — with modern classrooms, expanded program space, and room designed for how students learn today. 

Cross Keys High School
A modern brick building with large glass windows and a metal roof is surrounded by trees and a clear sky.

Cluster: Cross Keys
Project Type: Modernization
Opening Date: Fall 2027

What's New:
A state-of-the-art high school campus featuring modern classrooms, expanded academic and career-focused learning spaces, upgraded student gathering areas, enhanced athletic and extracurricular facilities, and flexible environments that support both collaboration and independent learning.

The New Elementary School at Dresden

Cluster: Cross Keys
Project Type: New School
Opening Date: Fall 2027

What's New:
A modern elementary school designed to support the way students learn today, featuring updated classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, enhanced technology infrastructure, improved student support areas, and welcoming spaces that foster creativity, exploration, and community connection.

Sequoyah Middle School

Cluster: Sequoyah
Project Type: New School
Opening Date: Fall 2027

What's New:
A brand-new middle school designed around the needs of today's learners, featuring flexible classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, modern technology, student-centered amenities, and room to grow as the community continues to thrive.

Sequoyah High School

Cluster: Sequoyah
Project Type: New School
Opening Date: Fall 2029

What's New:
A new high school campus that will provide students with innovative learning environments, expanded academic and extracurricular spaces, modern amenities, and facilities designed to support achievement, engagement, and success for decades to come.

Idlewood Elementary School

Cluster: Tucker
Project Type: Major Renovation
Opening Date: Fall 2027

What's New:
Expanded and renovated facilities will provide students, faculty, and staff with exterior improvements, renovated kitchens and bathrooms, a new HVAC system, and additional capacity to serve the community while creating a welcoming campus designed for student success.

 

How We're Planning

Every recommendation follows the same planning process.

  • Listen: We begin by listening to families, staff, students, and community members.

  • Study: District staff review enrollment trends, demographics, transportation, school capacity, and educational opportunities.

  • Create Options: Multiple options are created using data and community feedback.

  • Community Input: Feedback helps improve recommendations before they move forward.

  • Board Decision: The Board of Education reviews recommendations before taking action.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Archive and Resources

Over the past two years, the Student Assignment Project (SAP) has brought together data, community input, and planning to help shape the future of student assignment in DeKalb County School District. Click here to explore the archive section and revisit previous SAP updates, presentations, community engagement materials, and resources that have guided the process.