Author Archives: Stan Jester

DeKalb Class Size Analysis – Elementary Schools – 2017

Posted on May 1, 2017 | 13 comments

Last year the State Board of Education approved DeKalb County School District as a Strategic-Saiver School System. As such, DeKalb Schools gets flexibility in the form of indefinite waivers for certain state laws, rules and guidelines including class size waivers.
I have been a tireless advocate for pushing money into the classroom and class sizes on average across the county have been drifting down. This is a follow up to the Class Size Average (Nov 2015) report. This analysis shows the reported average class size for each grade by elementary school. The average class size for the school (grades K-5) were ranked and ordered from smallest to largest.

Legal Max Class Size – Before DeKalb Schools was granted SWSS status, GaDOE rule 160-5-1-.08 set the maximum number of students in a class.
Waiver Max Class Size – The school district was never compliant with the law and received  annual class size waivers. All maximums are subject to an additional +2 waiver for emergency use

Average Class Size For Every Elementary School By Grade

Legal Max Class Size 18 21 21 21 28 28
Waiver Max Class Size 24 27 27 27 34 34
District Class Size Avg 19 21 21 21 25 25
Grade Level
K 1 2 3 4 5 AVG
1 BRIAR VISTA ELEMENTARY 18 17 17 17 22 18 18.17
2 DUNAIRE ELEMENTARY 18 17 16 17 22 21 18.50
3 KELLEY LAKE ELEMENTARY 16 22 19 16 18 20 18.50
4 WADSWORTH MAGNET 19 18 18.50
5 FLAT SHOALS ELEMENTARY 20 17 19 16 21 19 18.67
6 BROCKETT ELEMENTARY 14 20 19 20 20 23 19.33
7 JOHN LEWIS ELEMENTARY 17 20 20 18 21 21 19.50
8 LIVSEY ELEMENTARY 21 22 17 18 22 18 19.67
9 BRIARLAKE ELEMENTARY 16 23 17 21 22 20 19.83
10 KITTRIDGE MAGNET 20 20 20.00
11 MIDVALE ELEMENTARY 15 19 21 19 21 25 20.00
12 TONEY ELEMENTARY 20 21 20 17 20 23 20.17
13 HAWTHORNE ELEMENTARY 19 21 18 20 22 22 20.33
14 ROCKBRIDGE ELEMENTARY 18 19 19 18 27 21 20.33
15 MONTCLAIR ELEMENTARY 20 22 19 21 21 20 20.50
16 VANDERLYN ELEMENTARY 21 21 19 21 20 21 20.50
17 ROBERT SHAW ELEMENTARY 15 18 17 24 25 25 20.67
18 KINGSLEY ELEMENTARY 15 20 20 20 24 27 21.00
19 MONTGOMERY ELEMENTARY 18 20 22 20 23 24 21.17
20 BROWNS MILL ELEMENTARY 17 21 17 23 26 24 21.33
21 CARY REYNOLDS ELEM 18 23 22 19 22 24 21.33
22 HENDERSON MILL ELEM 20 19 22 19 24 24 21.33
23 LAUREL RIDGE ELEMENTARY 23 19 22 20 23 21 21.33
24 MCNAIR DISCOVERY ELEMENTARY 20 18 18 18 27 27 21.33
25 OAK GROVE ELEMENTARY 20 21 22 22 20 23 21.33
26 AVONDALE ELEMENTARY 20 25 19 20 21 24 21.50
27 EVANSDALE ELEMENTARY 18 22 20 21 26 22 21.50
28 ASHFORD PARK ELEMENTARY 21 23 20 21 22 23 21.67
29 FERNBANK ELEMENTARY 18 22 24 19 24 23 21.67
30 HIGHTOWER ELEMENTARY 17 20 20 22 26 25 21.67
31 MCLENDON ELEMENTARY 22 21 20 20 20 27 21.67
32 MURPHEY CANDLER ELEM 21 20 18 22 24 25 21.67
33 RAINBOW ELEMENTARY 18 20 18 22 24 28 21.67
34 CANBY LANE ELEMENTARY 20 19 20 23 24 26 22.00
35 BOB MATHIS ELEMENTARY 18 19 24 22 23 27 22.17
36 CHESNUT ELEMENTARY 20 22 20 23 23 25 22.17
37 HUNTLEY HILLS ELEM 14 21 19 26 28 25 22.17
38 SMOKE RISE ELEMENTARY 22 19 22 20 29 21 22.17
39 DRESDEN ELEMENTARY 21 21 22 19 26 25 22.33
40 JOLLY ELEMENTARY 21 20 22 20 24 28 22.50
41 AUSTIN ELEMENTARY 21 25 22 22 21 25 22.67
42 COLUMBIA ELEMENTARY 19 22 22 20 29 24 22.67
43 ALLGOOD ELEMENTARY 21 22 20 21 28 25 22.83
44 BAROCK OBAMA ELEMENTARY 18 19 23 22 26 29 22.83
45 HAMBRICK ELEMENTARY 20 23 21 23 25 25 22.83
46 REDAN ELEMENTARY 19 22 21 21 29 25 22.83
47 ROWLAND ELEMENTARY 17 20 22 22 28 28 22.83
48 DUNWOODY ELEMENTARY 20 21 21 23 26 27 23.00
49 E.L. MILLER ELEMENTARY 16 22 23 21 29 27 23.00
50 FAIRINGTON ELEMENTARY 21 19 24 20 27 27 23.00
51 PLEASANTDALE ELEMENTARY 19 21 20 21 29 28 23.00
52 ROCK CHAPEL ELEMENTARY 23 23 23 23 24 22 23.00
53 SHADOW ROCK ELEM 17 21 21 22 28 29 23.00
54 PANOLA WAY ELEMENTARY 22 21 20 25 25 26 23.17
55 STONE MILL ELEMENTARY 21 22 19 23 29 25 23.17
56 CHAPEL HILL ELEMENTARY 17 20 24 25 25 29 23.33
57 E.L. BOUIE ELEMENTARY 22 20 22 22 27 27 23.33
58 OAKVIEW ELEMENTARY 21 22 24 24 25 24 23.33
59 SAGAMORE HILLS ELEM 19 20 23 25 29 24 23.33
60 STONE MOUNTAIN ELEM 19 20 24 20 29 28 23.33
61 STONEVIEW ELEMENTARY 21 22 22 24 27 24 23.33
62 WOODRIDGE ELEMENTARY 21 21 19 21 30 29 23.50
63 WOODWARD ELEMENTARY 17 22 25 22 27 28 23.50
64 WYNBROOKE 22 21 21 23 28 26 23.50
65 FLATROCK ELEMENTARY 20 20 23 23 27 29 23.67
66 PEACHCREST ES 21 22 22 26 25 26 23.67
67 PRINCETON ELEMENTARY 20 19 22 25 26 30 23.67
68 DEKALB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF ARTS 20 23 23 22 27 28 23.83
69 N. HARRIS ELEMENTARY 23 21 22 23 28 26 23.83
70 PINE RIDGE ELEM 19 22 24 22 28 30 24.17
71 OAKCLIFF ELEMENTARY 23 24 23 25 26 25 24.33
72 SNAPFINGER ELEM 23 24 22 21 29 27 24.33
73 IDLEWOOD ELEMENTARY 22 23 22 24 28 28 24.50
74 MARBUT ELEMENTARY 21 22 22 24 30 30 24.83
75 CEDAR GROVE ELEMENTARY 23 25 25 23 24 32 25.33
76 INDIAN CREEK ELEM 23 24 25 23 29 30 25.67

Related Posts

DeKalb Class Size Analysis
Middle Schools – 2017
May 2, 2017 – Over the last 4 years DeKalb Schools has added over 1,000 school house employees. Middle school class sizes have gone down and are generally below the state max. This analysis shows the reported average class size for each grade by DeKalb middle school.

DeKalb Class Size Analysis
Elementary Schools – 2017
May 1, 2017 – This analysis shows the reported average class size for each grade by elementary school. The average class size for the school (grades K-5) were ranked and ordered from smallest to largest.

Class Size Analysis – Elementary Schools
September 8, 2015 – This analysis shows the reported average class size for each grade by elementary school. The average class size for the school (grades K-5) were ranked and ordered from smallest to largest. Comment on this post and let me know if these class sizes are not accurate in your school.

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Game On Capital Campaign – Dunwoody High School

Posted on April 22, 2017 | 3 comments

“Game On” is a campaign by the Dunwoody High School Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO), School Council, and Community Association, to originally raise $2 million for capital improvements to the DHS athletic facilities including

  • Artificial turf for multi-purpose field
  • Running track replacement
  • Outdoor lighting for multi-purpose field
  • Spectator seating/bleachers
  • Field house with concessions and restrooms

Coordination with DCSD
E-SPLOST V  projects for Dunwoody High School include a 600 seat classroom addition, artificial turf installation and covering the retention pond/swamp.  In March, the Board received and approved the administration’s plan for the timing of all E-SPLOST V projects. I voted against accepting this timeline but it was passed on a 5-2 vote. The projects at DHS aren’t scheduled to begin planning and procurement until February of 2019. Construction isn’t scheduled to begin until October 2020. The expected completion date is between June and September 2022 (at the earliest).
The Game On Capital Campaign would like to decouple the athletic facility improvements from the E-SPLOST projects. The Capital Campaign would like to accelerate the schedule of the athletic field improvement component of E-SPLOST V. The district said they will investigate the feasibility of accommodating this accelerated schedule as they proceed with overall planning and design work.
Investigation of Accelerated Schedule
The school district must consider how at least 2 key variables will affect all of the E-SPLOST projects at DHS, not just the athletic field improvements. Those variables are the location of a sufficient water retention pond and the location of the 600 seat addition.
DCSD has indicated their intention is to put out RFPs, make awards, and then begin each E-SPLOST V project according to the approved scheduling plan. Once the awards have been made, the school district will understand how the key variables for DHS addition and improvements interplay. At that point they will know if the current retention pond location will be sufficient for the site or if another retention area must be created and placed under the athletic fields.
If the current retention infrastructure is sufficient and if the building addition doesn’t require the reconfiguration of the athletic fields, then it is more likely DCSD can decouple the athletic field improvements from the overall project. If that happens then the Game On Capital Campaign can move sooner to accomplish its goals.
If another retention pond must be constructed or if the building addition will impede on the current athletic field areas, the Game On Capital Campaign may face a delay in starting their projects.
The RFPs have not yet been released by the school district. This is still several months out. Once they go out, it will take some time to gather the responses and determine the award. From that point, it will likely take another year to perform preliminary designs and conduct a feasibility study to determine the impact of the addition and field work. Based on the data and feedback from the school district, and if the athletic field improvements are able to be decoupled from the whole project, the best case scenario is that the capital field improvements breaks ground the Summer of 2019.
What is a matching fund?
The Dunwoody School Council and school administration have been told by DCSD that the district would match any funds the community raised. One of the items included in E-SPLOST V’s project list is an upgrade to artificial turf fields for all of the high schools. The budget for field improvements is the same for all high schools. Regardless of the amount of money Dunwoody raised, the school district has budgeted the same for Dunwoody.

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Posted in Dunwoody High School, SPLOST

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