Education Archives - Reporter Newspapers

Buckhead’s Pace Academy starts new Lower School construction; Castle renovation to come

by John Ruch | Jan 26, 2020 | Buckhead Reporter, Education | 0

Pace Academy, a Buckhead private school, has started construction on its new Lower School building, set to open in August 2021. Renovation of the school’s historic “Castle” building is planned to follow that opening. The pre-first through 12 school at 966 West Paces Ferry Road is making a 36,500-square-foot addition to its existing Lower School classroom building. Work began this month, according to the school. The school has posted a video showing a simulated walkthrough of the future building here. Pace has launched a $50 million capital campaign for the projects. The new Lower School is named for Kam...

DeKalb Schools cuts funding for new Cross Keys High School

by Hannah Greco | Jan 21, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Education | 0

The DeKalb County School District has cut funding for the anticipated new Cross Keys High School. DCSD had nearly $85 million set aside for the planned 2,500-seat school in its E-SPLOST budget. Now, the funding has been cut down to $80,000 due to “insufficient unit cost estimates and insufficient escalation provided by Education Planners,” according to a budget update presented at a Jan. 13 Board of Education meeting. The new high school was one of the priorities for the current E-SPLOST budget. It was planned to alleviate overcrowding at the current Cross Keys High, which is located at 1626...

Sandy Springs’ Bernath elected Fulton School Board president

by Hannah Greco | Jan 19, 2020 | Education, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

Fulton County Board of Education member Julia Bernath, who represents part of Sandy Springs, has been elected the president of the body. The leadership change occurred at a Jan. 14 work session. Former president Linda Bryant, who took office last January, swapped positions with Bernath, who had served as vice president. “I am honored to serve in this position and thank my fellow board members for putting your faith in me,” Bernath said in a press release. “I look forward to working with the board and Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney as we move forward.” Bernath, who represents District 7...

DeKalb Schools reveals different, temporary redistricting for Doraville United school

by Hannah Greco | Jan 16, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Education, Top Stories | 0

In the wake of controversy over a redistricting plan affecting several Brookhaven schools, the DeKalb County School District has announced a significantly different, temporary version that will take effect in July. The “interim” redistricting for the new Doraville United Elementary School will move 108 students from Hightower Elementary to Doraville United; 209 students from Cary Reynolds Elementary to Doraville United; and 381 students from Dresden Elementary to Doraville United. The plan was released at a Jan. 13 DeKalb County Board of Education meeting. Ramona Tyson, the district’s interim superintendent, recommended an “Interim Redistricting Plan” intended to prepare the way...

DeKalb Schools opts for limited, temporary redistricting for Dunwoody’s Austin Elementary

by Hannah Greco | Jan 16, 2020 | Dunwoody Reporter, Education, Top Stories | 0

In the wake of controversy over a redistricting plan for the new Austin Elementary School in Dunwoody, the DeKalb County School District has announced a significantly different, temporary version that will take effect in July. The “interim” redistricting will move 102 students from Dunwoody Elementary to Austin. The interim plan was released at a Jan. 13 DeKalb County Board of Education meeting. Ramona Tyson, the district’s interim superintendent, recommended an “Interim Redistricting Plan” intended to prepare the way for a Comprehensive Master Plan, which will be completed in the 2020-2021 school year. The Master Plan process will include a permanent...

New Austin Elementary opens in Dunwoody

by Hannah Greco | Jan 6, 2020 | Dunwoody Reporter, Education, Top Stories | 0

The new Austin Elementary School opened at 5321 Roberts Drive in Dunwoody on Jan. 6. The 950-seat school is intended to help relieve the overcrowding at the surrounding elementary schools of Chesnut, Dunwoody, Hightower and Vanderlyn. The school has triggered a controversial redistricting process of changing school attendance zones, which will be in effect in August 2020. A new intersection for the school opened on Jan. 1. The $1.35 million project added a new traffic light at the school’s main entrance; turn lanes into and out of the main entrance to the school; a new sidewalk on the west...

Exceptional Educator: Brandon Hall teacher leads National Cemetery cleanup

by Hannah Greco | Jan 5, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Education, Making a Difference, People & Places, Sandy Springs Reporter, Slideshow | 0

Greg Morris has been working hard to have his students more actively engaged in the community, from cleanup projects to water testing experiments. Morris teaches science at Brandon Hall School, a Sandy Springs private school serving grades 6-12, and started in 2017. Before he became a teacher, Morris was in the Army and worked for the Lilburn Police Department, which inspired his school field trip in September. To honor the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorism attacks, Morris brought the middle school class to the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, one of the 135 national burial sites in the...

Gov. Kemp names Brookhaven resident to Georgia Board of Regents

by Dyana Bagby | Jan 3, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Education, People & Places, Politics | 0

A Brookhaven resident is one of five people who were named Jan. 3 by Gov. Brian Kemp to serve on the Board of Regents. The 19-member Board of Regents is responsible for overseeing public higher education in the state. Cade Joiner of Brookhaven, founder of Shred-X Secure Document Destruction, was appointed by the governor to serve as an at-large member on the Board of Regents, according to a press release from the governor’s office. In 2018, Joiner served on Kemp’s Finance Committee and he was also on the executive committee for Kemp’s inauguration, according to the release. In early...

20 Under 20: Honoring students who give back to the community

by Joe Earle | Dec 27, 2019 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Education, Making a Difference, Sandy Springs Reporter, Slideshow | 0

With more than 80 nominations this year, narrowing down our slate of 20 Under 20 honorees was more difficult than ever. But we think you’ll agree that this year’s honorees – along with runners up – are doing extraordinary things to make world a better place to live. As in previous years, we asked public and private schools along with service organizations and the general public to nominate students who have been active volunteers in their communities. These students have accumulated thousands of hours of volunteer time, traveled to other countries, created nonprofits and worked with the underprivileged as...

Riverwood pays homage to Notre-Dame cathedral with Sparkle Sandy Springs house design

by Hannah Greco | Dec 21, 2019 | Education, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

Riverwood International Charter High School’s National Art Society decorated a mini-house for the Sparkle Sandy Springs holiday celebration at City Springs titled “A Love Letter to Notre-Dame.” The Riverwood version, paying homage to the Paris landmark cathedral that burned earlier this year, is complete with faux leaded stained glass “rose” windows and a spire on top. “The Sparkle House is a great way for the kids to see their artwork outside of school,” Riverwood Visual & Performing Arts Department Chair Dana Munson said in a press release. “And it gives the art teachers a chance to work side-by-side with...

Former Sandy Springs school employee sentenced for child porn possession

by Hannah Greco | Dec 11, 2019 | Education, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

A former employee at Sandy Springs’ Woodland Elementary School was sentenced on Dec. 11 for possessing child pornography, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice. Adam Nesbitt, 41, of Rockmart, Ga. has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Nesbitt pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on Aug. 9, the release said. Nesbitt was a paraprofessional at Woodland and worked with special needs children at the elementary school. “Fulton County Schools has multiple processes in place to ensure the safety of our students...

APS superintendent continues to express tax break concerns at NAPPS meeting

by Hannah Greco | Dec 11, 2019 | Buckhead Reporter, Education | 0

Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen continued to express her concern with tax breaks for projects in “overdeveloped” areas at a Dec. 10 North Atlanta Parents for Public Schools meeting. Parents were interested in her concerns and raised some themselves. “The TADs are not managed well at all,” Carstarphen said at the meeting, which was held at E. Rivers Elementary School in Buckhead. “If you know [the area] is already overdeveloped, why are we giving money?” TADs, or tax allocation districts, are intended to spark development in underserved areas that would not be developed without the designation of the...