It's Always the Quiet Ones

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CBS Atlanta 46
DUNWOODY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -

The city of Dunwoody announced a plan to create its own school system, separate from DeKalb County.
The issue came up for discussion at Monday night's city council meeting.

"This is good for all the students of Georgia," Dunwoody council member Terry Nall said.

Nall proposed the idea because he would like to see the city of Dunwoody take back control from the county.

"I moved to add changing the state constitution that would allow municipalities to establish independent school systems. Today over 500 cities in the state of Georgia do not have that choice," Nall said.

Nall said the city council plans to ask state legislators to consider a constitutional amendment that will give cities like Dunwoody a choice when it comes to government schools.

"Yeah, I would support that," Dunwoody school parent Marty Fritts said.

Fritts is in favor of the idea, because she was appalled at the mismanagement of funds in DeKalb County.
"I would like to say we'd have more of a voice for sure and a lot of concerned parents around here are active in the schools and we help with PTA, sports, orchestra, band - we're active," Fritts said.

Fritts, like most parents, had one major concern about Dunwoody establishing its own school system.
"I know that the funding would still be a problem because I know it's a small city, Dunwoody, so we don't know where the money would come from," Fritts said.

So CBS Atlanta News questioned Nall to find out how he financially plans to make his concept a reality.
"Where do you get the funding?" CBS Atlanta reporter Adam Murphy asked.

"Well today we're paying a very healthy millage rate to DeKalb County School system. And like when we became a city, we took the millage rate we were paying to the county in municipal services and applied it and it became the millage rate for the city of Dunwoody for our services. And I would expect a very similar situation to occur if we were to go down that path," Nall said.

This proposal is far from reality. City council members have to get state lawmakers on board and then a majority of the state house and senate would have to approve it.

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