Rockdale schools reveals proposed consolidation and rezoning plan

The Brief Rockdale County Public School families face proposed school consolidations and rezoning after district enrollment dropped by more than 2,000 students since the pandemic. Five schools, including four elementaries and Memorial Middle School, are slated for consolidation under the district's Future Ready RCPS plan. The Board of Education must approve the changes before they take effect, and officials plan to host public hearings soon. ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - Several Rockdale County Public Schools could consolidate or undergo rezoning under a new district proposal aimed at addressing thousands of empty classroom seats. What we know: Superintendent Dr. Stephanie S. Johnson shared the draft plan, called Future Ready RCPS, in a letter to families detailing how declining enrollment is reshaping the school system. The proposal targets five schools for consolidation: Barksdale Elementary, Hightower Trail Elementary, Shoal Creek Elementary, Sims Elementary and Memorial Middle School. Under the plan, Magnet program grades four and five would relocate to Flat Shoals Elementary, while grades six through eight would move to General Ray Davis Middle School. By the numbers: District leaders say RCPS has more than 2,000 fewer students than it did before the pandemic, leaving over 5,000 empty seats across its schools. Johnson attributed the sharp and persistent decline in school-aged children to decreasing birth rates and an aging community. Big picture view: Johnson described Future Ready RCPS as a three-phase journey designed to build stronger, STEAM-certified elementary schools and middle schools with more specialty classes and connections. The phases include creating capacity by building stronger schools, designing opportunities through strategic planning with stakeholders and building the future based on community input. What we don't know: All proposed changes require approval from the Board of Education before taking effect. District officials have not yet announced the specific dates, times or locations for three upcoming community information sessions and two public hearings. What's next: The Human Resources Department plans to visit each school proposed for consolidation to meet with employees and answer their questions. Johnson wrote that she will keep families informed, listen to concerns and share the schedule for the public meetings soon. The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a letter sent to RCPS families by Superintendent Dr. Stephanie S. Johnson, who outlined the proposed consolidation and rezoning plan. Rockdale County Education News