DeKalb County School officials at a Jan. 9 meeting introduced their final recommendation to ease overcrowding at Idlewild Elementary School that involves sending 418 students to Smoke Rise Elementary starting in the 2025-2026 school year.
Students living in areas west of Brockett Road, north of E. Ponce DeLeon Avenue, east of Montreal Road E. and south of U.S. Route 78 will move to Smoke Rise Elementary, located at 4789 Hugh Howell Road.
Smoke Rise, located about three miles from Idlewood, was rebuilt in 2021 and has about 500 students, which is 51% of its capacity. Idlewood, with more than 900 students, is at 115% of its capacity, according to a presentation made by the school board at the meeting.
The move to balance attendance at both schools is driven by Idlewild’s upcoming $30 million renovation, which will involve upgrades to its bathrooms, HVAC system, and major improvements to its exterior.
When the students change schools, Idlewild will be at 61% capacity and Smokerise, 95%. This move will allow areas at Idlewood to be closed off and renovated while students move to other classrooms, DeKalb County School Superintendent Dr. Devon Horton said.
DCSS COO Erick Hofstetter said the recommendation to move a geographic block of Idlewild’s attendance area was based on feedback from the community.
Several options were discussed at two meetings held in December 2024, which included:
- Do nothing
- Move fourth and fifth grades to Stone Mountain Middle
- Rezone 100% of Brockett to Smoke Rise
- Move three grades from Idlewood to Brockett
- Balance enrollment at all schools in the cluster
- Redistrict parts of Idlewood to Smoke Rise
- Redistrict parts of Brockett to Smoke Rise and parts of Idlewood to Brockett
Hofstetter said the overwhelming consensus was to balance attendance with the Idlewild/Smoke Rise redistribution.
The 60 or so parents attending the Jan. 9 meeting submitted questions about the plan, which Horton and Hofstetter answered. Most of the queries centered around the topic of Title 1 services, and whether or not the same level of services would be offered to students at Smoke Rise, as well as those who stay at Idlewild.
Idlewood is a Title 1 school with 100% of its population qualifying for free or reduced lunches. About 71% of Smokerise students qualify for free or reduced lunches.
Horton assured attendees that steps are being taken to make the transition to Smoke Rise seamless.
“Any time we are discussing attendance boundaries, it’s difficult,” Horton said. “We will do everything we can to make these students welcome at Smoke Rise.”
Rising Idlewood fifth graders can petition to remain at the school, officials said, but they will have to supply their own transportation.
The group also inquired about whether the attendance zone changes would be permanent, or just put into action while Idlewild undergoes renovation.
Horton said the move will be in place for at least four to five years, but that the school system routinely evaluates attendance through its student assignment program, so it’s possible that further balancing may take place as a routine move.
The final recommendation will be presented to the DeKalb County School Board at its regular board meeting on Jan. 13 for consideration.
