Cascade Parents, Students Urge APS To Keep Stanton Open

“What wrong with our school? You’re taking our kids and sending them to another school. Why can’t you bring those other kids to our school?”

That was one of the pointed questions directed to APS officials on Monday night at , as about 125 school supporters spoke out against .

“I’m a graduate of Stanton,” continued Monica Butler. “This is our neighborhood, and our neighborhood school. What makes any other school better than this one? This isn’t fair to us.”

The meeting was one of about 70 that have been held throughout metro Atlanta in March. APS administrators, board members and others have met with parents, students and other community members over the APS’ current redistricting and school closure plans.

“Recommending Stanton for closure has been a very difficult decision for us,” said David White, area superintendent for School Reform Team 4, which includes Stanton.

White said Stanton’s current enrollment is about 269 students. “The minimum state school size to receive funding for teacher salaries is 450,” he said. “We have more elementary schools in this area than we have students.”

A total of 212 Stanton students would be sent to the newly combined Grove Park/Woodson campus, while the remainder would attend .

But Stephanie Watson, a Cobb County teacher who is considering relocating to Mozley Park, said closing Stanton would harm an already low-income community.

“This is not the right thing to do,” Watson said. “This community is already hard hit. Closing this school in a neighborhood already struggling to survive would devastate it.”

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on Davis' recommendations.