Closer Atlanta School Board, City Council Cooperation to Continue

The Atlanta City Council will continue to work closely with the Atlanta school board, even after the APS redistrciting process is over, a city official told the North Atlanta Parents for Public Schools Wednesday.

Jim Elgar, director of intergovernmental affairs and policy research for the office of City Council President Ceasar Mitchell, told parents and principals of Buckhead schools that the cooperation began with a recent will continue.

Elgar told the NAPPS group meeting at primary campus that while the APS has total responsibility for the final redistricting decision, the city council is sekking to act as "an additioinal voice for the community."

In the future, he said, the city and school board will "try to get just beyond redistricting. We want to be in support beyond that."

Principal Mark Mygrant raised concerns about the city council having "transparency in communicating" its joint efforts with the school board. He cited the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce's involvement with APS during fomer Superintendent Beverly Hall's administration. "I would caution you to be very transparent about your information," Mygrant said.

Several parents also questioned whether joint council-school board meetings would be streamed online, or if minutes would be available. Both Elgar and Buckhead school board member Nancy Meister pledged to make the school board-city council interactions open to the public.

Meister welcomed communicating with the council, pointing out that "the board of education has no jurisducition over things like sidewalks" built near schools. "It's great to have a partnership with the Atlanta City Council."

Another area of cooperaton would be using the city's recreation centers for after-school programs. "We're gong to see if we can unlock some opportunities with the rec centers," Elgar said.

NAPPS co-president Cyntha Briscoe Brown also welcomed the city council involvement, stating "we applaud the city council efforts."

Also at the meeting, North Atlanta parent Molly Read Woo gave an impassioned protest against cuts in the HOPE scholarship funding because of a falloff in state lottery proceeds.

Woo, also a blogger for Buckhead Patch, called for the state Legislature to look at using funds from the state's budget to restore HOPE fundng. Brown and Woo said Woo's views were her own, and not those of NAPPS.

"It was promised to our children," Woo said. "We don't want to break promises to our children."