Dozier Elementary School to Remain Open One More Year
A spokesperson for Montgomery Public Schools has announced that Dozier Elementary School will remain open one more year. That decision was made today by Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Ann Roy Moore and State School Superintendent Eric Mackey after looking at the logistics involved in rezoning and closing schools after having to wait for the final court rulings.
Superintendent Mackey believes this delay is actually cost effective.
“Due to the lateness in the year, it has been determined that MPS cannot adequately make all the necessary changes and transfers without bringing in an large and expensive cohort of outside help,” said Mackey in a statement. “Leaving Dozier open for one more year is the least costly option. We support Dr. Moore’s decision.”
Moore wants to be certain people understand, this decision was completely a matter of logistics, not one caused by any legal action.
“We just don’t have enough time to get everything accomplished,” said Moore. “We will close Dozier at the end of next year, and now we have the time necessary to do it the right way.”
Other schools will be closing. Floyd Elementary School will be closed, while Georgia Washington Middle School will close, with the building to be sold to the Pike Road school system for its use. Previously, Chisholm Elementary School was scheduled to close, but school officials say it will remain open for five years.
MPS will host three public information meetings in the next two week. Each meeting will provide general information about the rezoning, which now impacts primarily middle school students and a smaller number of elementary students. The first meeting is Thursday, May 31 at Park Crossing High School. The second is Monday, June 4 at Carver High School and the final meeting Thursday, June 7 at Lee High School. The same information will be presented at each meeting.
Parents will not be given any specific zone changes at these meetings, only general information. That information will be available through an online tool that should be ready on or before May 31. Information on that tool will be provided as soon as it is available.
