Council approves juvenile grant submittal as Change Academy searches for new space

The DeKalb County Council voted to allow county staff to submit the fiscal-year 2026 Juvenile Community Corrections (JCC) grant application after staff said the state moved the application deadline to Jan. 25.

Michelle, a county staff member, told the council the JCC funding amount for juvenile services is the same as past years and that the grant is a July-to-June fiscal award. She said the county must relocate Change Academy and is having trouble communicating with a potential landlord, Parkview Real Estate, about a possible lease for a building near the hospital. “They said they weren't opposed to it,” she said of the owner, but she added efforts to schedule meetings have been difficult.

Michelle said the juvenile grant program gave the county a discretionary 10% award because the program met outcome and compliance measures; the county will receive $8,800 from that discretionary pool in March, and the money “has to be used for programs for the kids, incentives, and some very specific things.” She also said staff expect to provide modest raises funded from the juvenile ordinance fund, which comes from school-district seat payments to Change Academy.

Council members asked about how school funding interacts with Change Academy. Michelle described the local arrangement as a per-seat payment: Garrett pays for six seats, Eastern six and Central 12. She added that school districts provide transportation and food services and that special-education teachers from sending districts continue to provide IEP services on-site.

The council moved and passed permission for Michelle to submit the grant application. Council members acknowledged uncertainties about the academy’s future rent, utilities and facility needs; Michelle said the budget submitted will match prior years and that staff will move funds by transfer once a lease is finalized.

Why it matters: The JCC grant is a primary funding source for Change Academy operations; the discretionary award and the school-seat arrangements affect programming, staff pay and services delivered to students in court-referred programs.

What’s next: Staff will submit the JCC application by the Jan. 25 deadline and continue negotiations to secure a new Change Academy location. If the county must amend budgets after determining rent and utilities, staff will return to the council with transfer requests.