Westside Residents Demand a Voice in APS School Plan
Atlanta’s Westside communities are speaking out against a proposed Atlanta Public Schools (APS) plan to repurpose 16 schools, fearing it will disproportionately impact their neighborhoods. Residents recently gathered for an emergency meeting, expressing deep frustration over decades of disinvestment and a lack of inclusion in critical city decisions.
APS Repurposing Plan Sparks Westside Outcry
The APS proposal targets 16 schools for closure or repurposing, with a majority located in Atlanta’s western neighborhoods like Vine City. Residents view this as another setback for communities already struggling with long-standing disinvestment and limited resources. At an impassioned Monday night meeting at Live Life Tabernacle, attendees voiced their weariness with being overlooked, with one speaker calling the situation “a crisis.”
Alton Peterson, a long-time resident and small business owner, highlighted the immediate impact: “They closing down schools. What can kids going to do? They probably have to travel farther — and parents can’t do that because they’re struggling to pay rent and other bills.” This illustrates the significant logistical and financial burdens placed on struggling families.
Concerns Over City Spending and Gentrification
Disparities in TAD Funding
A major point of contention is the distribution of Atlanta’s Tax Allocation District (TAD) funding. Designed to spur development and improve infrastructure in underserved areas, locals contend its benefits haven’t reached them. They are demanding “oversight” to ensure these vital funds genuinely help the community. While Mayor Andre Dickens proposed extending TAD funding through 2055 with a $5 billion plan for jobs, education, and food access, residents worry it’s insufficient to prevent long-time families from being displaced by rapid gentrification.
The Pervasive Threat of Gentrification
Ann Breedlove, a Westside business owner, described how her community has watched property values rise while Black residents have been forced out. She stated that “the property owners and investors that have taken our properties in these neighborhoods — they have studied, pushed out African American people.” This underscores a profound fear among residents of losing their homes, cultural fabric, and historical presence in Atlanta due to unchecked development.
A Unified Call for Inclusion and Accountability
At the heart of the Westside residents’ message is a powerful demand for inclusion—a fundamental right to have their voices heard and perspectives integrated into decisions shaping their future. Alton Peterson emphasized, “My concern is just that the money’s going into the right places… Up the street, you’ll see folks laying on the sidewalk, folks asking you, ‘Can I get a quarter?’ It shouldn’t be that.” This underscores the urgent need for resources to directly uplift those most in need.
Those who attended Monday’s meeting stated this was just the beginning. They plan to strengthen dialogue with city leaders and APS officials, advocating tirelessly for equitable development practices and genuine educational opportunities that truly serve the long-time residents of Atlanta’s Westside.
- What is the APS school repurposing plan?
The Atlanta Public Schools plan proposes closing or repurposing 16 schools, many in western neighborhoods like Vine City. - Why are Westside residents concerned?
They fear the plan disproportionately impacts their areas, increasing student travel and deepening decades of underinvestment. - What role does TAD funding play?
TAD funding aims to boost development in underserved areas. Residents argue it hasn’t benefited them and demand oversight. - How does gentrification affect the Westside?
Rising property values are displacing long-time Black residents, altering the community’s historical and cultural fabric. - What are residents demanding?
They seek inclusion, accountability, and direct oversight in development and education decisions to benefit existing Westside residents.
As Atlanta continues its growth, ensuring all community voices, especially from historically underserved areas, are genuinely heard and integrated into planning is crucial for truly equitable and sustainable progress.
Westside demands voice in Atlanta school plan
