Drew Charter School plan meets opposition
Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Erroll Davis has come out against a plan to allow Drew Charter School to add high school grades.
But the opposition isn’t stopping the charter school from continuing to seek approval for the project.
The charter school is central to revitalization of the East Lake neighborhood that began in the 1990s and it serves students from pre-K through the eighth grade.
Atlanta Public School spokesman Keith Bromery says Superintendent Davis is opposed to the expansion because he thinks there are too many empty seats in nearby high schools like Maynard Jackson.
“He’s talking about Jackson for the most part. In that area, 6 of the district’s 14 charter schools are already located in that area, and if we already have an oversupply of 9-12 student stations in that area, it would not make a lot of sense to supply more,” says Bromery.
But Drew Charter School Principal Don Doran says he doesn’t believe adding high school grades would have a significant impact on Jackson attendance.
Doran is unsure of the exact effect of APS redistricting, but says in recent years only about 40 of its graduates have attended the high school per year.
And he says despite Davis’ opposition, the school plans to seek approval for the expansion from APS board members.
“We have this pipeline of kids, from low wealth neighborhoods, minorities that are being extremely successful academically. We take tremendous ownership of this, we believe our kids need to be able to continue along that vein to be successful and have those opportunities we think they’re destined for,” continues Doran.
Currently those who graduate from Drew in the 8th grade have a 78 percent high school completion rate.
Doran says if the school adds high school students, its new graduation rate goal would be 95-percent.
APS Board members are expected to vote on the expansion in June.
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