The DeKalb County School District is considering whether to close more than two dozen schools in an effort to combat declining enrollment and save on operating costs.

Here’s the good news: Nothing is set in stone. The district will spend much of the year gathering feedback and refining the plan for what will happen at each school.

District staff worked with a 150-person committee and consultants for at least a year before developing this initial plan, and they intend to collect community feedback for most of 2026 before making any final decisions. But the fluid process also makes things confusing. Which schools are closing? When will we know for sure? Why me?

Here are answers to some of the biggest questions this process is eliciting so far.

Is my school going to close?

It’s too soon to know for sure. DeKalb put out an initial list in February — they’re calling it a scenario — of three high schools that could convert to middle schools, five middle schools that could convert to elementary schools, 27 schools that could close and 11 schools where they could increase capacity.

In March, it updated the plans. The updates included changes to which schools could close or consolidate and how some campuses may be used. Some schools could be combined to create pre-K through eighth grade and sixth through 12th grade campuses.

District officials are emphasizing the focus now is on facilities, including capacity and utilization and the suitability of each building for its current use. The plans can change as officials keep collecting feedback.

Why is my school listed for possible closure?

This all started because DeKalb has about 18,000 empty seats across the district. That means it has more empty capacity than nearby Rockdale County has students enrolled. When schools operate below capacity, it costs more money and resources. Bigger schools are more cost effective.

To select specific schools that could close, the district examined the proximity of schools to where students live, how close they are to one another, whether the facility itself is well-suited to house students, the building capacity, recent facility investments and future facility needs.

The district also took a cascading approach, meaning it started with what schools it wanted to keep. High schools are the district’s biggest long-term investments and typically have the most capacity. But this approach shifts the biggest impacts down to elementary schools, which tend to be much smaller and enroll fewer students. Most of the schools the district would close are elementary schools.

Where will my kid go to school if my school is closed?

DeKalb doesn’t know yet. The process starts with figuring out which of the district’s facilities have the right capacity and how suitable they are to house students. Talks about attendance boundaries won’t start until the summer.

Keep in mind that even if a school is listed for possible closure, that could change.

When will we know for sure?

District staff expects to present final recommendations to the school board later this year. Here’s what the timeline looks like:

• Now through May 2026: Host community meetings and solicit feedback about initial building plan, as well as school boundary and program placement options
• Summer 2026: Refine potential scenarios based on feedback
• Fall 2026: Final recommendation to school board and potential decisions are expected late in the semester

The board is expected to vote on “a comprehensive student assignment plan that will include program placement changes, boundary adjustments, and building closures, additions and repurposing.”

Any changes would be implemented gradually over six to eight years, with the first taking effect no earlier than fall 2027.

Students line up to view a hallway parade featuring Atlanta Falcons mascot Freddie Falcon on the first day of school at Stoneview Elementary in Lithonia. Stoneview Elementary, which enrolls more than 700 students, is on the list of potential school closures in DeKalb County. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

What about career tech, magnet programs and athletics?

The district doesn’t know yet. The process starts with figuring out which of the district’s facilities have the right capacity and how suitable they are to house students. Talks about where different academic and extracurricular programs will be won’t start until the summer.

How can I weigh in on the plan?

You can review the latest information on the district’s website and fill out a survey until April 12. You can also attend a community meeting in the next couple of months to share your thoughts there.

Virtual community meetings — Staff will present information relevant to the entire district.