Sandy Springs Residents Fight Passionately and Professionally for Spalding Elementary

When the Fulton County Board of Education announced in 2024 that they were considering closing Spalding Drive Elementary School in Sandy Springs as well as Parklane Elementary School in East Point, hundreds of Sandy Springs residents impacted by the potential closing decided to fight back.

But this was not a rowdy group of just poster-raising, complaining, angry loud-mouths. Rather, they were intelligent, professional individuals who combined their educational backgrounds, research abilities, and public relations skills to produce a detailed document and well-thought-out website to argue that the elementary school in their neighborhood should not be closed.

“When the news came out in September” that the Fulton County Board of Education proposed closing Spalding Drive Elementary, “we all were shocked and surprised,” said Lauren Rosenbaum, co-president of the Parent Teacher Organization at Spalding, and mother of two current students at the school and another child who formerly attended Spalding.

According to the website that Rosenbaum and other parents created, “Save Spalding Drive Elementary is a community-driven initiative dedicated to preventing the closure of Spalding Drive Elementary School. Located in the heart of our neighborhood, this school has been a beacon of academic excellence and community engagement for decades. With its smaller class sizes, personalized learning environments, and a longstanding tradition of high achievement, Spalding Drive offers students the foundation they need to succeed academically and socially.”

It further noted the Fulton County School Board is considering closing “this essential institution” due to “temporary declines in enrollment.”

“We believe that the closure of Spalding Drive would be a short-sighted decision with long-term consequences for our children, property values, and the neighborhood as a whole. In addition to its educational significance, Spalding Drive is one of the earliest buildings designed by the renowned architect John C. Portman, making it a valuable part of Atlanta’s architectural heritage.

“Our mission is simple: to rally together as a community to keep Spalding Drive Elementary open. Through advocacy, outreach, and education, we are committed to demonstrating the importance of this school to the School Board, local officials, and families across the district.”

Mayor Rusty Paul commends the well-organized group

This community endeavor has received kudos from Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul. “Nothing is more powerful than a well-organized, passionate, and accurately informed group of citizens.  The Spalding Drive Elementary group epitomizes all those attributes,” he wrote to SandySprings.com.

Indeed, not only does the group, and the website (savesde.com) provide detailed counterarguments about why their local elementary school – located at 130 W. Spalding Drive — should remain open, they also instruct supportive residents what NOT to do. In a section called “what not to do”, they list: Do NOT organize at the school or use school facilities; Do NOT place flyers inside mailboxes, but flyers can be taped to mailboxes or hung from them; We CANNOT use the electric sign in front of the school; Do NOT ask for endorsements from Spalding faculty or staff; and Do NOT include endorsements from any staff in communications to the board or teachers.

The Save Spalding Committee conducted a detailed analysis to fight closure

Probably most important, however, the Save Spalding Committee has conducted a thorough analysis of the Fulton County School Board’s proposal for the closure of their school. Rosenbaum said among the school’s parents are lawyers and data analysts, “a diverse group of parents with various skills who contributed” to the more than 100-page report.

“The dedicated group of parents went through old records, looked for inconsistencies, researched other schools and compiled a lot of information,” explained Rosenbaum. She added that a Facebook group with over 800 members of current and former parents and community members support the efforts.

In the report’s executive summary, the committee notes: “Our analysis reveals significant flaws in the Fulton County Schools (FCS) consolidation rationale, both in terms of enrollment capacity models and facility condition assessments, and underscores the importance of thoughtful, data-driven decision-making that prioritizes community stability, academic quality, and transparent communication.”

According to the committee, “enrollment and capacity models do not support closure.” It contends that “closing Spalding, a smaller school operating near optimal capacity, would barely reduce the district’s surplus of empty classrooms.” Moreover, the committee states that the school system used “contradictory and inconsistent models” which resulted in “contradictory conclusions about overcrowding and available space, calling into question the reliability of the data used to justify closure.”

The executive summary also states that “recent open enrollment policies and extensive private school options in Sandy Springs introduce significant uncertainty into enrollment forecasts. Closing Spalding could drive families out of the system entirely, undermining the district’s goals and stability.”

Decision about closing Spalding Elementary has not yet been made

In addition, the enrollment at the elementary school is expected to rise, the committee asserts. “Spalding’s growing Pre-K and Kindergarten enrollment should be considered as indicators of future growth.” The school, opened in 1966, currently serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Lastly, the group argues that there were disparities and errors in the data and messaging relayed by the school board.

Among the myths that the Save Spalding Committee was anxious to dispel was that the Fulton County School Board already decided to close the elementary school. Although a recommendation has already been made, a final decision won’t be made until this year, with any possible changes to impact the 2025-2026 school year.“The school is a great asset to our community and a wonderful neighborhood school,” added Rosenbaum. “We’ve had a wonderful experience at the school and want to maintain that for future Spalding Tigers.”