A motion led by Board of Education Rep Don McChesney, and seconded by Rep H. Paul Womack, led to the Board’s approval of an amendment that, along with tweaks to several other other schools’ issues, allows Livsey to keep its current attendance lines in place, while welcoming 51 students from Pleasantdale E.S. For more details, click here to download the DeKalb County School Board’s final redistricting plan press release. Click here to view the DCSS official announcement.

We would like to thank everyone for his or her support and the countless hours spent trying to keep Livsey open and intact. We are proud of our school community for coming together and fighting for what is right.

Last night was the first of two public hearings regarding the superintendent’s redistricting recommendations made on February 7th. Cynthia Crick, Jeff Jackson, and Michelle Penkava spoke on behalf of Livsey, in an effort to convince school board members and Mrs. Tyson to adjust her plan, and leave Livsey’s current student population intact—attending Livsey next year.

The second and final input meeting is this Thursday, March 3rd at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in speaking on Thursday night, arrive early at AIC. to sign up. Each speaker has 90 seconds to voice their concerns to the board and superintendent. Next Monday, March 7th, the school board will vote on school redistricting effective for school year 2011-12.

It is not too late to send letters to Mrs. Tyson, School Board members and Mr. Dan Drake, asking them to make a minor correction to the redistricting plan; Livsey can accommodate our current student population, as well as additional students from neighboring schools within our current facility. Click here to download a PDF listing complete contact information for Ms. Tyson, Dan Drake, and the entire DeKalb County Board of Education.

If you have any questions, please email Michelle Penkava.

Monday night, February 7th Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson presented her recommendations to the DeKalb County School Board for school consolidation and redistricting. According to her recommendation, Livsey has been removed from the closure list, but still faces the displacement of 54 current Livsey attendance area students. Mrs. Tyson’s plan calls for 54 Livsey students to go to Midvale while redistricting 51 students from Pleasantdale to Livsey. The net effect of this plan would decrease Livsey’s enrollment by three.

However, it is possible for the Superintendent to modify the current plan before the board votes on it March 7 so that the 54 current Livsey students remain at Livsey. We are asking concerned community members to send letters to Mrs. Tyson incorporating some or all of the following bullet points:

• Livsey can accommodate both the 54 current students, who would be moved to Midvale ES under the Mrs. Tyson’s recommendation, and the 51 Pleasantdale ES students slated to be transferred to Livsey ES within our current facility. No additional portables would be needed at Livsey to house these students as there is classroom space available within the building.
• The displacement of Livsey students to Midvale would not impact the number of schools below 75% capacity since Midvale is already at 85% capacity.
• The Livsey students in the impacted area are much closer to Livsey than to Midvale and in some cases within walking distance of Livsey.
• The redistricting of Livsey students to Midvale would route these students through the already heavily congested Tucker HS/LaVista Road/Main street area further degrading traffic conditions there.
• Leaving Livsey’s current attendance area intact while adding 51 Pleasantdale students through redistricting will bring Livsey’s enrollment closer to the 450 student target set by the county.
• This modification to the Superintendent’s redistricting recommendations will not impact the projected cost savings for the plan.
• Allowing the 54 Livsey students proposed to go to Midvale to remain at Livsey would reduce the number children in the county affected by redistricting and lessen the disruption to these children prior to the 2020 Vision.

Please send your letters asap as time is running out!
Click here to download a PDF listing complete contact information for Ms. Tyson, Dan Drake, and the entire DeKalb County Board of Education.

Click here to email Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson or the entire Board of Education.

Upcoming Important Meetings
• Tucker Parent Council meeting is Wednesday, February 23 at 7PM – Tucker High School.
• Town Hall Meeting with State Representative Scott Holcomb and State Senator Steve Henson Monday, February 28 at 7PM – Tucker Recreation Center.
• Public Opinion Meetings to be held March 1 & 3 at 6PM – the AIC. building.
 

Monday night, February 7th Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson presented her recommendations to the DeKalb County School Board for school consolidation and redistricting. According to her recommendation, Livsey has been removed from the closure list, but still faces the displacement of 54 current Livsey attendance area students. Mrs. Tyson’s plan calls for 54 Livsey students to go to Midvale while redistricting 51 students from Pleasantdale to Livsey. The net effect of this plan would decrease Livsey’s enrollment by three. (download map)

We presented, in good faith, an option to the MGT consultants and Mrs. Tyson’s staff which demonstrated that Livsey’s current attendance area could remain intact AND accommodate approximately 50 additional students. Our proposal supported the objectives of the school system and consultants with respect to:

1. maintaining neighborhood/community cohesion
2. disrupting the fewest number of students possible
3. relieving overcrowding at Pleasantdale
4. increasing enrollment at Livsey, and
5. minimizing travel distance for elementary school students.

The Interim Superintendent’s recommendation to redistrict 54 students from Pleasantdale to Livsey and 51 students from Livsey to Midvale does not appear to achieve any of these goals as efficiently as our proposal to her staff.

We are all grateful to the many supporters of Livsey in our neighborhoods and throughout Tucker. Each has demonstrated with grace and dignity that Livsey is a school worth the fight. To everyone from community members to parents of school children to the business owners who rallied publicly and privately on behalf of this great school, we say Thank you. Thank you all!

Click here to download the interim-superintendent’s map for all of DeKalb.

This week Livsey parent representatives met with MGT and DeKalb County School System representatives to discuss options for redistricting. This was the process for any school that wanted to present modifications to the MGT plans. We proposed that Livsey stay open, retain her current student population and extend attendance lines to accept additional students up to an enrollment of 400. This plan keeps Livsey within MGT’s published goal of no school exceeding enrollment beyond 110% of capacity. We clearly stated that our first priority is to keep our current families within the Livsey attendance area. Although we believe our ideas were well received, we must wait until Monday night, February 7th, for Interim Superintendent, Mrs. Tyson’s recommendations to the School Board.

The agenda for Monday night’s meeting, during which Mrs. Tyson will unveil her recommendations is as follows:

• Call to Order
• Inspiration/Pledge
• Roster
• Recognitions (there are 3)
• Citizens Comments
• Committee Reports (there are 3)
• Adoption of the Agent
• Superintendent’s Report
• Amendment to the Bylaws (there are 2)
• Action Items (there are 14)
• Other Board Comments
• Announcements
• Adjourn

This School Board meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm tomorrow night at AIC. It has been estimated by the DeKalb County School System that this meeting may last four to six hours. We encourage all who plan to attend to arrive early. Click here for a more detailed version of the agenda.