South Fulton Should Fight to Keep Schools From Annexation

In the zeal to sell annexations to residence of Sandtown and Loch Lomond. Proponents see a need to annex the three schools in the area as well. Never mind the fact that each of the schools serve areas much larger than the proposed annexed communities. In each case, Randolph, Sandtown Middle and Westlake zones go as far north along Fulton Industrial Blvd to Fulton County Airport. In the cases of Sandtown Middle and Westlake their zones go as far south as South Fulton Parkway, respectively.

It has been reported that a little over 220 students living in the Sandtown Community actually attend Westlake High School. Westlake serves close to 2,100 students. So in essence annexation proponents want to force over 1,800 students out of Westlake so that they can have it for 220 students? That is the case. Atlanta Public Schools have fewer than 50,000 student and can barely fill the schools they have so adding Westlake, Randolph and Sandtown Middle will do nothing more than add empty buildings. Proponents of annexation have stated they could careless what happens to the students not in the proposed annexed area.

What the proponents will not say is the reason they want the three schools is because they don’t want their students going to Therrell, Bunche or Fickett. Somehow they think Atlanta Public Schools should educate their children separately.

There is no rationale for proposing to annex Randolph, Sandtown and Westlake into Atlanta along with Loch Lomond. Such a move is selfish.