Live Blogging: DeKalb School Board Approves School Closings, Redistricting Plan

Patch was in attendance at the DeKalb County School Board's meeting Monday night when the board voted on the school system's school redistricting and closure plan.

The meeting began at 6pm. Here is Patch's live blogging coverage:

5:24. Heightened security tonight. The DeKalb County School System has set up a metal detector, and they're asking parents and residents attending the meeting to empty their pockets.

5:37. With more than 20 minutes to go before the meeting starts, the school board's meeting room is roughly half filled. TV and print media outlets have also arrived.

5:58. The board room is full. If you're not here by now, you're probably headed to the giant overflow room to watch the meeting on a screen.

6:01. The board is beginning to arrive. Meeting to start soon.

6:09. Board Chair Thomas Bowen just annouced that due to a power outage the TV broadcast of tonight's meeting will not be live. It will be recorded but they can't broadcast right now. Took some time for them to get the lights on.

6:11. The board meeting has begun. All members in attendance.

6:13. The board has to get through four recognitions before the public comment section of the meeting begins. Twenty people have already been signed up to speak.

6:21. Wow. Due to the power outage, they can't get the lights on in the overflow room, and they're not letting anyone in. About 20 people are stuck outside. They're working on getting the lights on in there, however, a police officer said.

6:34. The bumping an agenda action item before the public comment session. (An agreement between the county board of health and the school system.)

6:42. Public comment session to begin now.

6:44. "I know I sound like a broken record, but as long as you guys are broken I have no choice but to be broken with you," said Loreen Booker Brown regarding school redistricting and closures. "You continue to make decisions behind closed doors."

6:48. Connie Boone, a Sky Haven Elementary School parent: "You are shuffling children like dominos." She said she doesn't want students moved from a better-performing school to a worse one. "I still see no reason why Sky Haven cannot remain open."

6:51. John Reteneller. "Sagamore Hills Elementary has the capacity to keep us without (being over-enrolled)."

6:54. Marissa Monty, a parent. Her streets might be moved to Briar Vista Elementary from Sagamore Hills Elementary. "Our concern has always been that this change will threaten to displace our community. ... Parents are within a mile of each other, and we are within a mile of our school."

6:57. Suzi Wilkie, a Sagamore Hills parent. "Sagamore Hills is easily accessible to our neighborhood. Our drive to Briar Vista takes as much as four times longer due to traffic," she said. The school has a petition of more than 300 signatures that supports keeping students at Sagamore Hills rather than moving them to Briar Vista. Several parents want boundary moved to Cliff Valley Way.

7:01. Bowen just asked all staff who are not presenting to give up their seats to residents.

7:02. David Tulis, a Sagamore Hills parent. Parents, he said, wouldn't participate as much at Briar Vista if students are moved there because it's much farther away. Parents have bound together to propose an alternate plan for that community to keep students. "We chose to live here. We chose to send our kids to public schools."

7:04. Michelle Olsen, a Sagamore Hills parent. "Please make a motion to keep the Sagamore 8 at Sagamore Hills Elementary by moving the boundary line to Cliff Valley Way.

7:10. Leisha Fleming. Neighborhood near McLendon and Laurel Ridge elementary schoosl have a petition of more than 700 signatures protesting superintendent's proposed plan. "Do not vote yes just to get it done. SACS is watching. ... I stand here with the Lakeside and Druid Hills cluster."

7:14. Julius Brown, a Southwest DeKalb High student. Doesn't want his art program moved. "I can be a successful artist if I continue to get help." He showed the board some of his artwork.

7:17. Andy Faraca. Demands the school system's budget restores money taken from teachers over the last several years.

7:20. Thomas Hogan, father of two Ashford Park Elementary students. Also a Chamblee city councilman. Presents a resolution passed by the city council regarding the magnet program at Chamblee High School. They want the program kept in the Chamblee area.

7:24. Khalid Muhammad Ali Farrakhan. Says county's black residents are "clinging" to a school system that doesn't have their best interests in mind.

7:30. Katherine Wilson, a parent in the Dunwoody area. "Parents in the county really shouldn't have to do this. ... I am here tonight because the changes Mrs. Tyson made violate the school attendance zone policy. ... This is your day to do your job responsibly."

7:33. A local resident: "This isn't a plan. This is an action that will occur before a plan is in place. We don't understand why there is a continual need to rip apart successful community schools and put something else in their place."

7:39. Jeff Jackson, a Livsey Elementary parent. Wants changes to proposed attendance zones at Sagamore Hills, Livsey and Laurel Ridge elementary schools.

7:42. Tara Powell, parent at Sagamore Hills. Doesn't want her child to move to Briar Vista. It will add a 30-minute commute. "There will be no more walking to school or riding a bike. It is unsafe."

7:44. Public comment session over. Superitendent Tyson makes statement. "There was an unprecedented level of public engagement." Thanks MGT of America, the consultants who designed the first two plans released in January. "Redistricting and consolidation is a necessary and imprtant first step on the path to 2020 Vision. ... It's time to pass the baton to the board of educatior for completing the last lap in this race."

7:45. Board member Don McChesney makes a motion, seconded and approved for discussion, that several attendance lines be redrawn in relation to Livsey Elementary.

8:18. A motion for an amendment that would take Avondale Middle and High school off the closure list fails.

8:21. Board considers motion for amendment to keep Sky Haven Elementary open. Motion fails.

8:25. Board member Donna Edler makes motion to bring 97 students in Chamblee annex to be included into the school proper. The board discusses the legality of the issue with an attorney.

8:31. Board decides to drop motion due to questions over legality.

8:33. Board member Sarah Copelin-Wood. "When you look at what's going on tonight, keep in mind what schools are being effected." She says southern county schools are being singled out to several shouts of "re-segregation" from the crowd.

8:39. Bowen reviews a flurry of proposed attendance changes.

8:41: Original motion passes with no changes.

8:43. The board takes a 10-minute break, and will resume its meeting with the remaining agenda items on its docket. This concludes Patch's live coverage of the DeKalb County School Board's redistricting and school closure proposals.

UPDATE: 9:38. The school system just released a statement regarding the board's vote tonight. Read it here.