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EDUCATION
New DeKalb schools named
after Obama, Lewis
Board of education divided over new school names, naming process
by R. Scott Belzer
sbelzer@dekalbchamp.com
T wo new elementary schools
in DeKalb County will be
named after President
Barack Obama and
Congressman John Lewis
following a contested board of
education meeting July 11.
The board unanimously
voted to name the former Terry
Mill Elementary School, located
at 797 Fayetteville Road, and
replacement school at the Clifton
Elementary site, located at 3132
Clifton Church Road, the Barack H.
Obama Elementary Magnet School
of Technology.
The school will be the first in
Georgia named after Obama and
will cost the district $23 million.
It is expected to open January
2017, according to DeKalb
school officials. The school has a
projected enrollment of 715 with a
900-seat capacity.
The renaming comes at the
suggestion of residents and
leadership in DeKalb’s District
3 region, represented by board
member Michael Erwin.
“President Obama’s
commitment to education
demonstrates an understanding of
the roles of parents, teachers, and
students,” Erwin said. “He knows
the most dedicated teachers
and most supportive parents can
make a difference if students
show up, pay attention, and apply
themselves to the fullest extent
possible.”
Erwin served on the school
naming committee alongside 22
local church leaders, parents,
staff, students, principals and
regional superintendents to help
make the school’s naming a
possibility. According to Erwin,
possible names for the school
included the chosen name, East
Atlanta Elementary Magnet School
of Technology and Cliff View
Elementary Magnet School of
Technology.
“I had the vibe this name would
celebrate the pride of our students
and our community and bring unity
to the area as they come together
at Terry Mills and go on to [the
new school at the Clifton site],”
Erwin said. “The community has
been involved in this process for
the past three years. At one time,
the community submitted a 1,000
name petition to get this process
started.”
DeKalb Superintendent
Stephen Green said the president,
and school by proxy, will “embody
the values of a strong family, hard
work, and education as the means
of getting ahead.”
“These values are reflected in
the DeKalb County School District
and are the keys to college and
career readiness,” he said.
The decision to name a new
school after Lewis, who is currently
serving as U.S. Representative for
Georgia’s 5th congressional district
and a noted civil rights leader, was
not made as easily.
The John Robert Lewis
Elementary School is set to be
temporarily housed at the former
International Student Center,
located at 2383 North Druid Hills
Road. The permanent location will
eventually be at the newly acquired
Skyland property in Brookhaven,
located along Skyland Trail NE.
School officials estimate the
facility will cost around $30 million
and house 900 students. Projected
enrollment for the temporary facility
is 394 students from Montclair
Elementary as part of addressing
overcrowding in the Cross Keys
cluster.
Board member Marshall
Orson, who presented the item to
the board of education, said Lewis
was an ideal person to name a
school after.
“John Lewis has committed his
life to the causes of civil rights and
equal justice,” Orson said. “Every
day, the students at John Robert
Lewis Elementary and throughout
DeKalb will be reminded that
education is a path for a better
life, that commitment to a cause
beyond one’s self is a virtue, and
that the content of a person’s
character is the truest measure of
an individual.”
Board member Stan Jester
took issue with how the naming
process took place, citing
violations of district regulations
and an undersized naming board
made up of 10 people. According
to Jester, the naming committee
did not meet enough times or take
enough input from community
stakeholders in Brookhaven.
“This breaks every policy, every
regulation that we have when it
comes to naming schools,” Jester
said. “I’ve asked [Marshall] to
include the community and not
name the Skyland school in this.
This is DeKalb pushing something
on the Brookhaven community.
This is about local control. Do
you believe this is the name the
Brookhaven community would
choose for its elementary school?”
Orson, who headed the
naming committee, said he
included representatives from both
communities. This included Davis
Schaefer, a representative from
the Latin American Association.
“I’m more than comfortable
with this recommendation,” Orson
said. “This is an iconic figure not
only in Atlanta but the nation. For
DeKalb to do something like this is
both monumental and appropriate.
We do this in a time where he can
appreciate us honoring him.”
Board member Joyce Morley
took issue with Jester’s question,
stating his denial of the name
was racially fueled. Morley used
general terms to hint Jester did not
respect his colleagues, the children
he represents or his community in
DeKalb County.
“What makes the Brookhaven
community so different from
any other community that they
would deny John Lewis’s name?”
Morley said. “We need to stop our
stereotypical views. I’m satisfied
with what [Orson] has done. The
only reason there’s a problem
with this name has nothing to do
with the pretense that’s being
presented.”
Jester said race had nothing
to do with his decision and that
he was both disappointed and
offended in the board for finding a
non-existent issue.
