Data shows proposed APS school closures fall hardest on Black neighborhoods

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 01:05:00 -0400

ATLANTA — A district plan to shrink Atlanta Public Schools’ physical footprint is colliding with a hard equity question: who loses a neighborhood school when enrollment falls and budgets tighten.

Atlanta News First Investigates reported Wednesday that APS is proposing to close 16 campuses, citing lower enrollment and higher operating costs. The station’s analysis found the shutdowns would fall disproportionately on Black and lower-income communities, especially in southeast Atlanta — a pattern neighborhood leaders say is not accidental.

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Data shows proposed APS school closures fall hardest on Black neighborhoods