Published by Dan Cunning on Jul 7, 2023
Property Taxes and Unaccountable School Systems
Filed under Politics
Here's the breakdown of my 2023 property tax assessment:
| Taxing Authority | Percent of Total |
|---|---|
| UNIC BONDS | 1% |
| FIRE | 7% |
| SCHOOL OPNS | 78% |
| CITY TAXES | 5% |
| CITY BONDS | 1% |
| STORMWTR FEE | 2% |
| DEKALB SANI | 6% |
Let me provide some background on why this upsets me before you tell me how important free education is to those who can't afford it.
The High School Districts
Notice that weird thin, fuchsia-colored strip near the map's very top? That's the high school in my district: Cross Keys High School. It runs the length of Buford Highway and just so-happens to get really thin right around one of Brookhaven's biggest real estate markets.
Buford Highway is known for its awesome Mexican, Central/South American, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean cuisine. Eat the World (Yes, the Entire World) Along Atlanta's Buford Highway. These restaurants offer authentic food because their workforces live right here on Buford Highway. DeKalb County has decided to shove them all into one high school.
The Schools
Here's the demographic breakdown of Cross Keys and the its four neighboring schools:
| Cross Keys | Chamblee | Lakeside | Dunwoody | Druid Hills | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 5.0% | 12.82% | 5.71% | 7.31% | 11.49% |
| Black/African American | 3.59% | 21.37% | 20.67% | 14.8% | 40.32% |
| Hispanic | 90.29% | 29.12% | 38.04% | 30.54% | 13.74% |
| Native American | 0.41% | 0.17% | 0.61% | 0.33% | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.06% | 0% | 0.33% | 0.14% | 0.23% |
| White | 0.41% | 32.48% | 32.0% | 44.6% | 30.56% |
| Mixed Race | 0.24% | 4.05% | 2.64% | 2.28% | 3.38% |
And here's how the schools compare according to US News and World Report:
| Cross Keys | Chamblee | Lakeside | Dunwoody | Druid Hills | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 61% | 78% | 85% | 89% | 86% |
| Georgia Rank | #187 | #37 | #76 | #56 | #115 |
| Scorecard | 54.39 | 91.54 | 81.1 | 86.44 | 70.17 |
By every metric, Cross Keys is by far the worst high school in the area which was a major reason DeKalb County set aside $85M to build a new 2,500 seat school.
County School District Drama
In January 2020, the DeKalb County School District cut the new Cross Keys High School from the budget stating "insufficient unit cost estimates and insufficient escalation provided by Education Planners". No movement has occurred on this new school in the three years since.
In April 2022, according to a student video, Druid Hills High School was recommended for a $52M renovation and modernization. The board added (but later removed) the school from a priority list of projects. As a result of the video going viral, the board fired the county superintendent, a move the governor and state superintendent called a "step backward".
What's my point?
The DeKalb County School District is a mess and it will continue to be a mess because it's funded by property taxes, and property values around Atlanta will continue to go up, meaning the district will get more money regardless of how much is wasted.
Last March, a bill in the Georgia House of Representatives failed to pass (89-85). The bill would have given $6,500 to the families of Georgia public school students in the bottom 25% of schools who pulled their children out of class to attend private school or study at home. This brand of school choice seems perfect for Buford Highway's entrepreneurial population.
I hope the lawmakers will get it passed next year and in doing so light a fire under the DeKalb County School District to do better or see their budget shrink.
I'm a Ruby on Rails contractor from Atlanta GA, focusing on simplicity and usability through solid design. Read more »