Petition to Support Closing Avondale Schools to be Presented at DeKalb's Thursday Board Meeting

A petition from Avondale residents who support a recommendation to close Avondale Middle and High schools is headed to the school board meeting Thursday night.

More than 500 Avondale Estates residents have already signed the petition supporting the closures recommended by DeKalb County's interim superintendent. If approved, the move would redistrict students to Shamrock Middle and Druid Hills High schools. 

David Milliron, mayor pro tem of Avondale Estates, and resident Lawrence Shaw sent an open letter to Avondale residents outlining the reasons to support closing the two schools. The number of signatures collected in two days reached 505.

"Avondale has been plagued with failing schools and a lack of support from the school administration for many years," Milliron said. "This community has feverishly worked to support our community schools, only to have our efforts dismissed. The administration is what has failed these students, not the community. And that message has been echoed loudly to the school board by nearly 500 residents."

The Avondale Estates Education Association has spent more than five years working with Avondale Elementary to provide tutors and volunteers at the school. They also worked with Avondale residents to encourage them to return their kids to the school.

The Touchdown Club at Avondale High School, supported by alumni, has invested more than $100,ooo and many hours trying to rebuild a sports program.

The petition also has the support of the Parent Teacher Student Associations from Druid Hills High and Shamrock Middle schools. 

"The partnering of the existing Druid Hills feeder schools with the families of Avondale Estates will ensure a strong and vibrant high school cluster supported at every level by involved and committed communities," said a statement from the PTSA from those schools.

As for the fate of the closed schools, Milliron said Avondale Estates will work with DeKalb to help create a long term vision for them.

"The best options is to close the schools and reconstitute them," Milliron said. "Hopefully, working with the school system, these schools can eventually reopen with the support necessary to put them on par with other quality schools in the district."