Atlanta school board opposition to Buckhead City emerges as a top priority
By Vanessa McCray, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Defeating a proposal to spin off Buckhead as its own city is emerging as one of the Atlanta school board’s top political goals for next year.
On Dec. 6, the Atlanta Board of Education is poised to finalize its priorities for the 2022 session of the Georgia General Assembly. Near the top of that list is a new aim: “Advocating against legislation that supports the creation of a City of Buckhead.”
The push to break off the affluent enclave from the rest of the city threatens Atlanta Public Schools’ property tax base and enrollment while diverting time and attention away from the district’s most-pressing work, leaders said.
“The proponents of the Buckhead City movement are very loud, but there is a relatively quiet majority that are very concerned about the impacts that this will have on education but also the region,” said school board Chairman Jason Esteves.
Last week, a group of Republican state legislators filed a bill that, if passed, would allow Buckhead residents to vote on whether they should form their own city.
Advocates cite crime reduction as a leading reason they want to create their own city and hire their own police force.
But also at stake are the educational futures of more than 5,500 Atlanta students who reside within the proposed Buckhead city limits as well as APS revenue of $232 to $300 million, depending on the estimate. Buckhead schools are among the highest-performing in APS.