The Neighborhood Collaborative Group
(NCG)
December 11, 2014
Honorable Andre Dickens
Atlanta City Council
55 Trinity Avenue, SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Re: APS & City of Atlanta Beltline Payments
Dear Andre Dickens:
I am writing as a representative of the Neighborhood Collaborative Group, a coalition of community
leaders and parents who are working toward improving our public schools, helping our teachers, and
ensuring our children have the best education possible. Our representatives include members from each
of our parent advocacy groups located throughout each of our APS cluster schools.
We are writing to express our great concern over the failure of the City of Atlanta to meet its obligations
to the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) and its 50,000 students regarding payments related to the Beltline
Tax Allocation District (TAD), and to request that you sign the attached Pledge in support of our schools
and our kids.
As you know, APS, the City of Atlanta, and Atlanta Development Association (now Invest Atlanta)
entered into a contractual agreement on December 31, 2005. The Agreement stated that in exchange for
the City's use – for Beltline developmental purposes – of a portion of the Beltline TAD, APS will
receive a sum of $162,436, 302 over 20 years from the TAD.
The payments to APS were to start on January 1 of each year, beginning in 2013. However, neither the
City nor Invest Atlanta have made any effort to make the required payments to APS and follow their
contractual obligations. As evidenced by public financial statements, the City has unilaterally chosen to
place other obligations, salaries, and expenses ahead of the required payments to APS. As stated in the
original Agreement, the City was to pay APS prior to making payments to any other entity, including
Fulton County; however each year the City has elected to continuously pay Fulton County and others
instead of APS. APS is currently owed more than $8 million. An additional $6.75 million will be owed
in January 2015.
As a parent of APS students and a fellow City of Atlanta taxpayer, this is unacceptable and outrageous.
The City's actions are a breach of their legal duties and obligations to APS.
We are aware as to the questions regarding Councils' role in this issue. Regardless, you are an elected
official and a leader in our City, and, thus, your public position on such an important local issue is a duty
and a responsibility.
The NCG…Serving the Children of the City Of Atlanta
Carver ● Douglass ● Grady ● Jackson ● Mays ● North Atlanta
Single Gender Schools (B.E.S.T and C.S. King Academies) ● South Atlanta ● Therrell ● Washington
That is why we are asking you to sign the attached Pledge calling on Mayor Kasim Reed to fulfill his
contractual responsibilities to our schools and our kids.
The representatives of our Neighborhood
Collaborative Group – and teachers, parents, families, and students across our city - want to know where
you stand.
The City of Atlanta has received great benefit from this Agreement with APS, in the form of tens of
millions of dollars in revenue from the TAD. APS, on the other hand, has received no benefit. Please
know that APS supports the development of the Beltline. In fact, APS is the biggest investor of the
Beltline. Nonetheless, records indicate that payments to our schools will in no way deprive funding for
trails and development of the Beltline.
We have a new student-focused Superintendent and School Board who are determined to give our
students, parents and teachers the tools they need. Although challenges remain, progress is being made
every day. These monies owed by the City will go to very important initiatives, like an Early Education
program, expanded wrap-around services, college preparation, hiring more teachers, and lowering our
class sizes. All of which will help build a successful school system and prepare our students for college
and career.
That is why our kids need the funds that are owed by the City. There is nothing more important to our
neighborhoods, our families and Atlanta's future than providing a quality education for our children.
Our public schools are in need and have been for quite some time. Progress is being made but we
cannot accomplish this without added and much needed funds that were previously budgeted. This is
integral to the success of our great City for we need all facts of community development, public
education and corporate development to work together in order to take us to the next level we all desire.
Accordingly, please sign the attached petition and call on Mayor Reed to fulfill his obligation to our
schools and our students. A representative will follow up with your office to retrieve the Pledge. We
will alert our members and the public to your decision.
Thank you for your leadership on this important matter.
THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD COLLABORATIVE GROUP
B.E.S.T. ACADEMY/CORETTA SCOTT KING ACADEMIES
Sharron Paige-Whitaker
Serving B.E.S.T. Academy and C.S. King Academy
CARVER CLUSTER COMMUNITIES FOR ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS (CCC4APS)
Co-Presidents Paul Benson & Erica Long
Serving the Carver Cluster of Schools (Carver High School, Price Middle School, Sylvan Middle School, Slater Elementary School,
Thomasville Heights Elementary, Finch Elementary, Gideons Elementary, Perkerson Elementary)
COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION (CASE)
President Shawnna Hayes-Tavares
Serving All Special Education Students in the City of Atlanta
COUNCIL OF INTOWN NEIGHBORHOODS AND SCHOOLS (CINS)
Co-Presidents Abby Martin & Dana Persons
Serving the Grady Cluster of Schools (Henry W. Grady High School, Inman Middle School, Centennial Academy, Intown Academy,
The NCG…Serving the Children of the City Of Atlanta
Carver ● Douglass ● Grady ● Jackson ● Mays ● North Atlanta
Single Gender Schools (B.E.S.T and C.S. King Academies) ● South Atlanta ● Therrell ● Washington
Hope/Hill Elementary, Lin Elementary, Morningside Elementary, Springdale Park Elementary)
NORTH ATLANTA PARENTS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS (NAPPS)
Co-Presidents Patricia Israel & Kim Zemmali
Serving the North Atlanta Cluster of Schools (North Atlanta High School, Sutton Middle School, Bolton Academy, Brandon Elementary,
Garden Hills Elementary, Jackson Elementary, E. Rivers Elementary, Sarah Smith Elementary)
SOUTHEAST ATLANTA COMMUNITIES FOR SCHOOLS (SEACS)
Co-Presidents Richard Quartarone & Beth Hogan
Serving the Jackson Cluster of Schools (Maynard H. Jackson High School, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Benteen Elementary,
Burgess Peterson Academy, D.H. Stanton Elementary, Dunbar Elementary, Parkside Elementary, Toomer Elementary, Whitefoord
Elementary, Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, Drew Charter School, Wesley International Academy)
SOUTHWEST & NORTHWEST ATLANTA PARENTS & PARTNERS FOR SCHOOLS (SNAPPS)
President David Payne
Serving the Schools of the Douglass Cluster (Douglass High School, Harper-Archer Middle School, Boyd Elementary, Fain Elementary,
F.L. Stanton, Grove Park Intermediate Elementary, Scott Elementary, Towns Elementary, Usher Elementary, Woodson Primary
Elementary), Mays Cluster (Mays High School, Young Middle School, Adamsville Primary, Beecher Hills Elementary, Cascade
Elementary, Miles Intermediate, Peyton Forest Elementary, West Manor Elementary), South Atlanta Cluster (South Atlanta High School,
Long Middle School, Cleveland Avenue Elementary, Dobbs Elementary, Heritage Academy, Humphries Elementary, Hutchinson
Elementary), Therrell Cluster (Therrell High School, Bunche Middle School, Continental Colony Elementary, Deerwood Academy, Fickett
Elementary, Finch Elementary, Kimberly Elementary) Washington Cluster (Booker T. Washington High School, Brown Middle School,
Bethune Elementary, Connally Elementary, M. Agnes Jones Elementary, Venetian Hills Elementary)
WASHINGTON CLUSTER ADVOCACY GROUP (WCAG)
Co-Presidents Aaron Eide & Valarie Williams
Serving the Washington Cluster of Schools (Booker T. Washington High School, Brown Middle School, Bethune Elementary, Connally
Elementary, M. Agnes Jones Elementary, Venetian Hills Elementary)
The NCG…Serving the Children of the City Of Atlanta
Carver ● Douglass ● Grady ● Jackson ● Mays ● North Atlanta
Single Gender Schools (B.E.S.T and C.S. King Academies) ● South Atlanta ● Therrell ● Washington