Decatur School Board, City Commission To Discuss Beacon Hill Center

Decatur's school board and city commission will hold an unusual joint meeting Monday to talk about the possibility of moving the school administrative offices into the .

The joint meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in city hall, with the regular commission meeting starting at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited.

The school administrative offices are now located in the building on Scott Boulevard, a former elementary school.

School enrollment grew about 12 percent this year compared to last and the school system has talked about reopening Westchester as a school to handle the growing student body.

The Beacon Hill Center used to be Trinity High, the high school for black students before integration. It now houses the police department; the Active Living Department moved there while is being renovated.

School officials have also said they want to ask the city commission about the possible annexation of Suburban Plaza, . Annexation would have a major impact on the school system.

At its regular meeting, the city commission will receive a petition asking the city to create three pedestrian-bike paths close to on Mead Road.

The advocates say it will make it safer for kids to walk to the school.

The paths would run from Olympic Place to Mead, not far from West College Avenue; Olympic directly to the school; and from Ansley to Olympic and then to Mead.

The commission will also consider these items:

• Signing a $32,825 contract with Technical Forestry Services to prepare an urban forestry plan.

• Signing a $20,400 contract with Kimley-Horn to design residential traffic calming improvements.

City commission meetings (but not work sessions) are broadcast live on Comcast channel 25. They are rebroadcast at 2 p.m. the Saturday after the meeting.