Roadmap 2030 plan draws fierce public pushback over Johns Hill ESL, staffing and timeline

Decatur Public Schools’ Roadmap 2030 planning process drew sustained public criticism Tuesday, with parents, teachers and union leaders urging the board and administration to pause proposals to reconfigure school attendance centers and focus first on teacher shortages, staff retention and academic supports.

Speakers at the March 18 board meeting repeatedly said a scenario under consideration—shifting to pre-K–2 and 3–5 attendance centers and creating three magnet-themed 6–8 middle schools—would disperse services for English learners and weaken programs that currently operate successfully at Johns Hill Magnet School.

Why it matters: dozens of speakers told the board that breaking up Johns Hill’s K–8 English as a Second Language (ESL) program would separate students from bilingual teachers, social workers and on-site supports and reduce instructional cohesion for a large population of English learners. Several speakers said those changes would risk reversing academic gains and further stress already strained staffing.

Board discussion and community concerns Administrators leading Roadmap 2030 presented the draft vision, a balanced scorecard of academic indicators and a facility-use scenario the district is running as a “proof of concept.” Doctor Marino and facilitator Ashley said the committee’s work was intentionally wide-ranging so the board could later weigh recommendations. Dr. Marino…