Dunwoody reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 20??-current, December 27, 2013, Image 5
COMMUNITY t \ Top Stories @ ReporterNewspapers.net • DeKalb schools fallout continues • High-end apartments lure new tenants • Work starts soon to shut down Ga. 400 toll pi za • Map, timeline for Ga. 400 trail released • Fancying fine living leads to a backyard chicken coop ✓ \ DeKalb school board members replaced It was a tumultuous year for the DeKalb County Board of Ed ucation. In February, Gov. Na than Deal removed six mem bers of the school board after a regional accrediting agency put the school system on accredita tion probation. A report from the Southern Association of Col leges and Schools cited the school board members with financial mismanagement and meddling in the operations of the schools. Interim Superintendent Michael Thurmond, a former labor com missioner and state legislator, was brought on to help lead the struggling school system. \ Parents want city schools Seeing the DeKalb school sys tem’s troubles, a group of Dun- woody parents organized to try to create a separate public school system in the city In 2012, State Rep. Tom Taylor, a Dunwoody Republican, introduced legisla tion to allow “new” cities creat ed since 2005, including Dun- woody and contiguous cities to start their own school systems. A group calling itself Dunwoody Parents Concerned About Qual ity Education sponsored a study that found Dunwoody could op erate its own schools and have a $30 million surplus from the amount city taxpayers were pay ing for DeKalb County schools. Shortly after the release of the study a new parents’ group called Georgians for Local Area School Systems, or GLASS, organized to lobby the state Legislature to pass Taylor’s bill next year. GET THERE IN A Tired of waiting on a traffic signal to turn left? In another step to improve traffic congestion in the Perimeter Business District, the Perimeter Transportation Operations Program (PTOP) is bringing changes to traffic signals at 4 intersections on Perimeter Center Parkway near Perimeter Mall. During the week of Jan. 6, 2014, flashing yellow arrows will be added to left-turn signals. With a flashing yellow arrow, after yielding to any oncoming traffic and pedestrians, drivers are able to make a left turn without waiting for the next green arrow. The result: More efficient traffic patterns. To learn more about flashing yellow arrows, please visit the Perimeter CIDs' website: www.PerimeterCID.org Serving your community for 15 years Before Construction After Construction www.southernoutdoorcd.com Specializing in Construction, Renovation, Repair & Maintenance • Patios/Pool Decks • Pools & Spas • Outdoor Kitchens • Arbors • Brick & Stone • Chimneys/Fireplace • Decorative Concrete/Pavers • Decks • Driveways • Efflorescence Cleaning • Grading & Drainage • Historical Restorations • Masonry Maintenance Contracts • Retaining Walls • Stone Patio Restoration & Sealing • Stone/Tile Deck Waterproofing & Leak Repair DUN www.ReporterNewspapers.netl DEC. 27, 2013 — JAN. 9,2014 | 5