Update: Druid Hills Petition Leaders to Issue Statement

Updated 11:43 a.m.: The Druid Hills Charter Cluster's Facebook page indicates that the group will have a statement later today on the county's ruling.

Earlier story: The DeKalb Board of Education voted 5-4 Monday night to reject the petition for a Druid Hills Charter Cluster to directly manage Druid Hills High School and its six feeder schools.

After a nearly four-hour meeting, the board sided with the recommendation of Superintendent Michael Thurmond, who cited the "financial impact against the district" in opposing the petition.

Thurmond said his decision was based upon doing what "is in the best interest of 100,000 students" in the county. He claimed that the cluster is a conversion charter, but seeks higher funding that comes with start-ups, a point that was intensely debated over the evening by Matt Lewis, who represented the petitioners.

Lewis claimed that the budget estimated by petitioners was based upon the county's own figures. Board opponents of the petition and staff questioned how class sizes would be reduced under the charter proposal and said some cluster programs would simply duplicate what the county is already doing.

The petition was supported by board members Thad Mayfield, John Coleman, Marshall Orson and Jim McMahan.

After new information was presented by the county challenging portions of the petition, Orson pushed for the board "to adjourn as a committee of the whole," which enabled board members to ask questions of the petitioners and county staff.

Orson, who openly supported the petition, had tense exchanges with board member Joyce Morley, who opposed prolonged discussion of the issue, and Thurmond. Morley suggested Orson recuse himself from the vote.

Thurmond said he was willing to work with Druid Hills petitioners if they stop "casting aspersions" and can work with "mutual respect." The superintendent said there were portions of the petition "I celebrate and like" and that he supports decentralization efforts.

Referring to petition supporters, he said, "At some point we're going to need to work together. Not just by word, but by deed."

After discussion had ended before the final vote, NAACP President John Evans attempted to speak and was removed from the room by police.

Reaction from petition supporters after the vote was not immediately available. Come back to Patch later Tuesday for more coverage of the petition vote.

What do you think of the board's decision? Tell us in the comments below.