Group Calls for Smaller School Systems

The organization, GLASS for short, supports House Resolution 486, which would allow cities formed after 2005 to start their own school districts.

“It’s something that 49 other state do have in their constitution.  There’s flexibility for consolidation and not de-consolidation of school districts,” says co-founder Erika Harris.

An audio version of this story.

Monday marks the deadline for legislation to pass at least one chamber in order to become law this year.

Harris doubts H-R 486 has enough bipartisan support to meet the so-called Crossover Day deadline.

If that’s the case, Harris says GLASS will keep holding talks with legislators and the public.

She says smaller school districts will help improve the situation inside Georgia’s classrooms.

“Nationwide, there are only 30 systems that are over 95,000 students.  And three of those systems are in Georgia, and Georgia has a long way to go when we’re talking about national competitiveness with education,” says Harris.

Officials at DeKalb County, which has nearly 100,000 students in its school district, did not respond to an interview request.