ATLANTA — Frustration filled the room at Wednesday night’s Atlanta Public Schools board meeting, where parents, volunteers, and students voiced opposition to a proposed plan that would close or repurpose several schools across the district.

The proposal comes as APS faces a $57 million budget deficit and declining enrollment, particularly in aging schools on the city’s south and west sides. District officials say the changes could save millions in operating and maintenance costs, with students being relocated to nearby campuses.

Under the plan, some schools would be downsized, repurposed, or closed entirely, including Dunbar Elementary, where Spelman College student Martha Mendell, a volunteer, urged the board to reconsider.

“To repurpose Dunbar would not be a strategic move, it would be at its core an act of erasure,” she said. “A decision that tells the community that stability, belonging, and care are conditional luxuries and not human rights.”

Consultant Tracy Richter acknowledged the process is difficult but necessary. “It doesn’t make it comforting to know this is a necessary process, we do understand that,” he said. “But what we do want to do is to make sure that we continue to emphasize the continued relationship with communities in times of transition.”

District leaders argue the consolidation would allow APS to redirect funds toward student programs and facility improvements.

Atlanta isn’t alone in facing these challenges. Fulton County Schools expects enrollment to drop by 1,000 students next year, and DeKalb County Schools have seen enrollment fall from roughly 98,000 to just over 88,000 students in the past decade. Other metro districts, including Cobb, Clayton, and Gwinnett, are also considering consolidations to manage shrinking budgets.

The APS board will reconvene on December 3 for another public meeting, after which members are expected to make a final decision on which schools will be affected.

WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons contributed to this story