Greater Decatur, GA — During the DeKalb County School Board’s Dec. 12 meeting, several parent representatives from Laurel Ridge Elementary urged the school district to make urgent and overdue repairs at the school.

Issues parents cited included lead paint, an unreliable HVAC unit, and a leaky roof.

DeKalb County School officials visited Laurel Ridge Elementary on Dec. 16 to learn more about the repairs the school needs. Officials in attendance included Interim Superintendent Dr. Vasanne Tinsley, Regional Superintendent Trenton Arnold, and COO Eric Hofstetter.

In an email to Decaturish, the Laurel Ridge PTA provided more information about what prompted parents to speak out during the Dec. 12 meeting.

“The Laurel Ridge Elementary School PTA asked parents to speak at the school board meeting on Dec. 12 because we were told on Nov.15 that our school’s scheduled roof and HVAC replacement has been postponed for another year,” the PTA said. “After multiple delays, we were assured this August that the work would be completed no later than September of 2023. On Nov. 15, however, we were notified that the work won’t be completed until the summer of 2024 (although that date is also tentative). Our HVAC system was in the news in 2018. And the 2020 CMP report said that the roof is in dire need of replacement. Due to the numerous delays, we felt we needed to talk to the board on Monday to ensure they were fully aware of the situation and to voice our frustration.”

The PTA said that DeKalb County School District officials told Laurel Ridge Elementary parents in August that the repairs would be paid for with federal COVID-19 stimulus money.

“In November, the district said that was no longer the case because the roof project is now included in ESPLOST V project 36835,” the PTA said. “Mr. Erick Hofstetter, DCSD’s new chief operating officer, has promised to look into the matter. We appreciate his willingness to help us, and he has offered to discuss this with our school community. Our school is a wonderful place, with amazing teachers and staff, and we want to ensure that it continues to grow and thrive.”

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