School Board Approves Redistricting

The Atlanta Board of Education early Wednesday approved a redistricting plan that retains Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr.'s recommendations for Buckhead.

Those recommendations include moving the entire Pine Hills neighborhood from into the district and the conversion of into a sixth grade academy. With E. Rivers elementary students using the Sutton site for 18 months beginning with the fall of 2013, the Sutton move won't take effect until the autumn of 2015.

The board decided to close seven schools and create nine clusters of elementary, middle and high schools to increase enrollment in undercapaciy schols and provide additional resources to students, according to a news release on the meeting from APS spokesperson Keith Bromery.
   
The board removed F.L. Stanton, D.H. Stanton and Towns elementary schools from Davis' proposed closure list.

The attached videos by East Atlanta Patch editor Péralte Paul show the board's final vote and Davis' explanation of his recommendations.

The meeting grew contentious at times, including an incident when a man in the audience tried to jump on stage and was escorted from the building. Here is a YouTube video of the incident.