Overview
- Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. released a Facilities Master Plan that names 20 schools for closure, with recommendations to be presented to the Board of Education on Feb. 26 and no shutdowns before the 2027–28 school year.
- The overhaul would affect about 30,000 students, including nearly 5,000 in schools slated to close, and shifts the system toward stronger K-8 configurations and expanded access to pre-K, Algebra 1, AP courses and CTE.
- The district plans to modernize 159 buildings, maintain 122, and co-locate six schools, with 12 closed facilities repurposed for district use and eight proposed for transfer to the city for housing or job creation.
- The price tag is $2.8 billion over 10 years, with $1 billion in planned district borrowing and about $1.8 billion to be sought from state and philanthropic sources, which could determine the plan’s scale.
- Immediate pushback followed from City Council members and the teachers’ union, including a proposal by Councilmember Jeffery “Jay” Young Jr.—endorsed by Council President Kenyatta Johnson—to let Council remove school board members.