This story has been updated.

Atlanta, GA — State School Superintendent Richard Woods on April 25 ordered the DeKalb County School Board to take immediate action to fix problems at Druid Hills High.

The order was part of a scathing letter addressed to the district regarding unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the school.

“I will not recommend DeKalb County Schools’ facilities plan for State Board of Education approval while these fundamental issues and concerns remain,” Woods’ letter says. “DeKalb’s facilities plan will not move forward in its current form.”

A spokesperson for the state Department of Education confirmed that the district could be cut off from state funds until the problems are addressed.

“By law, approved facilities plans are required in order to access state facilities funding,” the spokesperson said.

The state superintendent’s letter notes that a state DOE facilities team recently visited the school. While some problems were addressed, most of the fixes were for show, the letter says.

“While we were glad to see this response taking place, I question why these issues were only addressed after they were raised by students – rather than being identified and promptly addressed by the adults responsible for them,” Woods said. “Of even greater concern, most of these fixes were solely cosmetic, and it was clear not only that significant issues with the facility remain, but that regular maintenance has been largely neglected. This is unacceptable.”

Some members of the school board have argued that other schools have greater needs than Druid Hills High. Woods agreed that equity is important, but he said equity means everyone, including Druid Hills High students.

“Let me be clear: each and every student in DeKalb County Schools has a right to functioning bathrooms; air-conditioned and heated classrooms; spaces free of mildew, mold, and flooding; and safe conditions to learn,” Woods said. “Each and every facility in DeKalb County Schools should meet that basic standard – at present, Druid Hills High School does not.”

Woods said the district has millions in unspent federal money that it can use to repair its schools.

“Your governance team has also cited a perceived lack of funding. In reality, there has been a lack of leadership, responsibility, and urgency regarding this core responsibility of DeKalb County Schools: providing safe and fully functioning facilities,” Woods wrote. “For example: federal COVID relief funds can be used to make facilities improvements, particularly clean and safe buildings for students and teachers. DeKalb County Schools has received more than $480 million in ESSER relief funds – even after adjusting for state austerity cuts as a result of the pandemic, DeKalb netted more than $440 million. Much of this remains unspent.”

DHHS was one of three high schools on a list of schools to be rebuilt or modernized in the next three years as part of the district’s new Comprehensive Master Plan, developed over months of evaluation and public meetings. The CMP was presented at the school board’s regular meeting in February as part of a resolution to notify the Georgia Department of Education so that the projects would be eligible for reimbursement under the DOE’s Capital Outlay program. Modernization of DHHS was the only project removed from the project list.

After the board voted to remove their school from the list, students at DHHS created a video documenting the dilapidated and unsafe conditions there. The video attracted both local and national media attention. It also prompted the recent visit by the state DOE’s facilities team.

Decaturish sent messages to DeKalb County Schools and the DeKalb County School Board seeking comment. We asked whether the district is at risk of losing state funds over this issue and why the district hasn’t spent federal aid money as alleged in Woods’ letter. The district sent a response Thursday evening, around 6:30 p.m. The response addresses neither of those questions.

Here is the district’s response:

Today, the district received State Superintendent Richard Woods’ letter to the DeKalb County Board of Education at the same time it was distributed to media outlets. This correspondence follows a widely reported, productive tour of Druid Hills High School on April 19 with officials from the Georgia Department of Education and DeKalb County School District administrators. The district explained its next steps during the tour based on the Board’s decision last week.

At its Business Meeting on Monday, April 18, 2022, the DeKalb Board of Education approved an amended motion instructing the district to address Priority 1, 2, and 3 deficiencies at all system schools, with work to begin as soon as possible. Administrators have been reevaluating previously identified projects listed on the Comprehensive Master Plan to determine:

– What is already done?

– What priority items can easily be completed?

– Which Capital Projects are already slated to be addressed?

– What new priorities need to be added to the list?

District personnel continue to reassess cost estimates due to substantially increased construction and labor expenses and potential funding sources, which include general funds, CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funds, and E-SPLOST (Education Special Local Option Sales Tax) funds.

These data will be presented to Board members at a May 2022 Committee of the Whole for its approval on the district’s next steps.

Here is the full letter from Woods:

April 25, 2022

Members of the DeKalb County Board of Education:

It is essential that our students are able to learn, and our educators are able to teach, in a safe and supportive learning environment.

Recently, students at Druid Hills High School took action to spotlight egregious facility issues at their school. During a site visit conducted by the Georgia Department of Education’s facilities team at my request, our team was shown several examples of issues from the students’ video footage being addressed. While we were glad to see this response taking place, I question why these issues were only addressed after they were raised by students – rather than being identified and promptly addressed by the adults responsible for them.

Of even greater concern, most of these fixes were solely cosmetic, and it was clear not only that significant issues with the facility remain, but that regular maintenance has been largely neglected. This is unacceptable.

Your governance team recently cited “equity” as a factor in its decision-making regarding facilities, while glossing over very real issues and concerns. Let me be clear: each and every student in DeKalb County Schools has a right to functioning bathrooms; air-conditioned and heated classrooms; spaces free of mildew, mold, and flooding; and safe conditions to learn. Each and every facility in DeKalb County Schools should meet that basic standard – at present, Druid Hills High School does not.

Your governance team has also cited a perceived lack of funding. In reality, there has been a lack of leadership, responsibility, and urgency regarding this core responsibility of DeKalb County Schools: providing safe and fully functioning facilities.

For example: federal COVID relief funds can be used to make facilities improvements, particularly clean and safe buildings for students and teachers. DeKalb County Schools has received more than $480 million in ESSER relief funds – even after adjusting for state austerity cuts as a result of the pandemic, DeKalb netted more than $440 million. Much of this remains unspent.

Additionally, through DeKalb’s FY23 Capital Outlay Application for the Druid Hills High School facility, another $1.4 million in state funds will be available to reimburse your district for needed improvements at Druid Hills after September 2022. Work can begin immediately with local funds, to be reimbursed after September.

GaDOE’s facilities team will work with DeKalb County Schools to develop immediate, short-term, and long-term plans for corrective action. The board is expected to work as a governance team to enact policies to address the issues outlined in these plans, and must empower Superintendent Watson- Harris to take swift and immediate action.

I will not recommend DeKalb County Schools’ facilities plan for State Board of Education approval while these fundamental issues and concerns remain. DeKalb’s facilities plan will not move forward in its current form.

This event is an opportunity for DeKalb County Schools to restore trust with the community; enact bold and sweeping change to the way it maintains and invests in its facilities; and utilize local, state, and federal funding to make historic investments – displaying the same courage and initiative as the students of Druid Hills High.

Our children deserve no less. Respectfully,

Richard Woods

State School Superintendent

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

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