Avondale Estates, GA — The Museum School of Avondale Estates will no longer offer enrollment preference to students in Avondale Estates starting in the 2023-2024 school year.

The change in enrollment preferences is part of the school’s new charter agreement with DeKalb County Schools. TMS is located at the old Forrest Hills Elementary building located on Forrest Boulevard in greater Decatur.

Museum School Executive Director Katherine Kelbaugh said the change in enrollment preferences won’t affect current students.

“Through the new DCSD charter contract, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, The Museum School will not be able to offer preference to students residing in the Peachcrest and Avondale Elementary zones,” Kelbaugh said. “Therefore, at future lotteries, we will open the entire lottery up to the full district. TMS staff and families know that this was an original condition of DeKalb’s 3-year charter offer in November 2021. We shared with our families in a Town Hall meeting a couple of weeks ago that our acceptance of the DeKalb charter led to this shift in the attendance zone, beginning next school year. This change does not impact current students and families.”

TMS and DeKalb County Schools spent much of the year locked in a battle over the school’s charter renewal. TMS wanted to break away and become a state charter school. Ultimately, TMS accept a renewal from DeKalb County that did not include language about ownership of the building, which became a sticking point for the school’s leadership and board. To read the full story about the TMS charter renewal process, click here.