Category Archives: Annexation

Carstarphen in the center, geared up and ready to play

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Superintendent Carstarphen signals that she plans on APS annexing DeKalb Schools as the City of Atlanta increases its borders into DeKalb.
As reported by the AJC, Carstarphen indicates she expects the City Council to allow the school system to expand as the city expands. Writes Carstarphen:
“I am pleased to see the City grow, and we are excited to learn that outstanding institutions like Emory University, the CDC, and CHOA want to become part of the City of Atlanta. The School Board and I want to ensure that the students and families served by APS also get to participate in that growth.”

EMORY IS GOING TO ATLATNTA

Emory Annexation Dominos
September 7, 2016 – Once Emory is annexed into Atlanta, it isn’t a stretch to see the scenario where the adjoining neighborhoods, including Druid Hills High School and two other elementary schools, would eventually end up annexed as well.

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QUESTION: What happens to county school district property when a city annexes an area in that county?
ANSWER: Annexation – What happens to the Property – It would appear that if Druid Hills is annexed into Atlanta Public Schools (APS), or if any new city school districts form in DeKalb, all educational matters including taxing and title to real estate held by the county are likely to move to APS or new cities respectively.
DEKALB SCHOOLS SUED ATLANTA OVER ANNEXATION
DeKalb County Schools sued Atlanta (DeKalb County School District v. City Of Atlanta 2016CV284278) for annexing homes near Emory University. The annexation, approved by the city last year, took in more than 100 residents on 16.31 acres. County leaders have publicly voiced concerns that Emory’s annexation push could prompt other neighborhoods to petition the city. Here is the Petition For Declarative Judgement on that case.
DCSD contended that Atlanta failed on at least two grounds to follow the statutory prescription for annexing property via what is commonly known as the “60% Method” provided for by O.C.G.A. §§ 36-36-30 through 36-36-40. DeKalb Schools also challenged the statutory scheme for annexation on due process grounds.
Motion To Dismiss
The court held a hearing on this case in April and granted a Motion to Dismiss in full a few days later.
Emory Annexation Dominos
If the Druid Hills/Fernbank area get annexed, the students within the new City of Atlanta will go to APS and the schools within the new City of Atlanta boundaries will become Atlanta Public School property. The ensuing negotiation for the transition will be interesting.
If these schools and certain territories are annexed, many of the students that currently attend these schools would be displaced. They could find themselves in DeKalb and their school suddenly outside of their school district. DeKalb will be forced to redistrict and find new schools for the approximately 2000 students that attend these DeKalb schools now but will be outside of the City of Atlanta boundaries. And, of course, the staff of those schools will need to be hired by APS or find other jobs within a smaller DeKalb district.

The Emory Wheel is reporting that a Sept. 5 vote to approve Emory University’s petition for annexation into the city of Atlanta has been postponed in an effort to resolve issues between Atlanta and DeKalb County, according to Atlanta City Councilmember and Emory Director of Development Alex Wan.
Emory filed for annexation in a June 27 petition and had anticipated its main campus to be annexed into the city of Atlanta by the first week of September. However, the Atlanta City Council delayed the vote following an Aug. 1 letter from DeKalb County Commission citing numerous objections, including increased demands on DeKalb County infrastructure and legal infirmities that require corrections or more collaboration before the proposal is approved.
Wan said that the Atlanta City Council is aiming to vote on the proposal by Dec. 4, which will be its last meeting of the year. If the proposal passes on time, the annexation would take place Jan. 1.

Superintendent Carstarphen on the hold for Superstar Jack Breedlove. Superstar Jack is in high school and kicks over 50 yards … by the way.