Decatur board narrows focus on K–2 'keep open' strategy, asks staff for school‑level threshold analysis
Summary
Board refined a problem statement and success criteria for a districtwide K–2 elementary utilization study, endorsed committee structures and transparency measures, and asked staff to return with school‑by‑school threshold analyses (capital, cost‑per‑student, and enrollment scenarios) ahead of a November 2026 recommendation.
The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education on Dec. 9 refined the district’s K–2 utilization problem statement and set criteria to guide committees that will study options to keep neighborhood elementary schools open while safeguarding long‑term financial sustainability.
Chief Operations Officer Jarvis Adams framed the work as clarifying process and guardrails rather than making closure decisions, saying, “Today is not a vote to close or reconfigure any school.” The board adopted language that centers the study on balancing fiscal responsibility with student experience and neighborhood school access.
Board members spent the bulk of discussion pressing staff for measurable thresholds and clearer trade‑offs. Members repeatedly questioned a commonly cited 200‑student proxy, asking staff to prepare a school‑by‑school threshold analysis that shows the 10‑year cost to run a school at varying enrollment levels, how capital‑outlay eligibility changes with enrollment, and what levels of forfeited state capital outlay or QBE funds the board would deem acceptable to keep a school open for a limited period.
The board agreed on a set of success criteria for evaluating scenarios: maintain strong student experience, advance equity and access, protect community and neighborhood school features (including walkability metrics), use resources wisely, and ensure feasibility and implementability. Members asked staff to draft precise language for those criteria and to create an online K–2 information hub so committees and community members can review data and scenario analyses.
Adams outlined three levers staff will study: re‑placing some pre‑K into neighborhood schools as capacity allows; using tuition seats to fill underused classrooms; and reviewing specialized-program space to improve utilization. The board directed staff to move enrollment stabilization and capital‑outlay forfeiture into the formal data‑analysis workstream and to return with clear metrics and school‑level financial impact reports before committees begin deliberations.
The board set a target of November 2026 for a final recommendation and emphasized that no decisions would affect the 2026–27 school year. Next steps include committee charters, balanced committee membership, and a public data dashboard documenting assumptions and findings.
