Bibb County presents school consolidation scenarios; board asks for more financial and transportation data

The Bibb County Board of Education on March 20 heard a district presentation exploring possible school consolidations and rezoning to address falling enrollment and underutilized facilities, with district staff and consultants presenting three consolidation scenarios and two non‑closure rezoning options for possible implementation in the 2026–27 school year.

District presenter Doctor Katika Levitt, joined by consultant Theron Plesz of Towering Your Success, said the review grew from months of data analysis, facility assessments and community engagement and was guided by principles of transparency, equity and student support. “This presentation provides a comprehensive analysis of school consolidation in our district,” Levitt said, adding the process included town halls, steering committee meetings and a November survey with 1,499 responses.

Board members were shown the district’s findings: districtwide enrollment has dropped by about 1,200 students since 2018; elementary schools account for roughly a 1,000‑student decline, middle schools about 60 students, and high schools about 470 students over the same period. The district mapped available seats by zone — Southwest about 1,080 seats, Rutland about 690, Central roughly 760, Northeast about 450, Westside about 490 and Howard about 33 — and used a seven‑factor consolidation matrix to score schools. Levitt said the matrix included…