Thank you for participating in DeKalb SAP Engagement Session 2.
Session 3 options pose no significant threat to Sagamore or its feeder patterns. Option B would annex a small portion of the Briar Vista attendance area to Sagamore Hills ES, which could be comfortably absorbed given current enrollment.
Where we are now: timeline
Engagement Session 3 is the current round. Nothing has been decided.
- Oct 27 – Nov 12Engagement Session 3: Refine OptionsIn progress
- Online public survey: opens Oct 27, closes Nov 10
- Public comment sessions, 6–8 pm: Nov 4 at Druid Hills Middle School and Nov 5 at Dunwoody High School
- Meetings of the Community Advisory Teams: Nov 10 and Nov 12
- Online focus groups: sign up once you have completed the survey
- Dec 8 – Dec 15Engagement Session 4: Review the Updated Recommendation and Next Steps
- Online public survey: opens Dec 8, closes Dec 14
- Public comment sessions, 6–8 pm: Dec 14 at Tucker High School and Dec 15 at Cross Keys High School
- By end of 2026Presentation to the school boardExpected, date to be announced
Pros and cons
Based on the district's numbers above and Sagamore's priorities: keep Sagamore in Lakeside, and give Henderson students a real advanced option.
Option A
Pros
- High Achievers MS magnet moves to Henderson
- Building 87% full
Cons
- Henderson splits three ways into high school, breaking up the cohort
- Adds 150 students to Henderson
Option B
Pros
- High Achievers MS magnet moves to Henderson
- Henderson stays 1-to-1 with Lakeside
- Enrollment lands 147 below the no-change forecast
- Annexes a small part of Briar Vista's attendance area to Sagamore Hills ES, which current enrollment can absorb
Cons
- Building 76% full, so watch for how the district treats capacity
Option C
Pros
- Henderson stays 1-to-1 with Lakeside
- 594 open seats
Cons
- Magnet stays at Chamblee, so no new high-achiever option at Henderson
- Underutilization may risk losing programs
Option D
Pros
- Henderson stays 1-to-1 with Lakeside
- 594 open seats
Cons
- Magnet stays at Chamblee, so no new high-achiever option at Henderson
- Underutilization may risk losing programs
Draft analysis from Sagamore Roots. Read the full district materials before you respond.
Four Options impact on Henderson MS
Henderson's building holds 1,590 students. It has 1,229 today (77% full), and the district projects 1,351 in 2029 if nothing changes. Here is where each option lands.
| Henderson MS, 2029 | Today | A | B | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 1,229 | 1,379 | 1,204 | 996 | 996 |
| Utilization | 77% | 87% | 76% | 63% | 63% |
| Open seats | 361 | 211 | 386 | 594 | 594 |
| Change vs. today | n/a | +150 | −25 | −233 | −233 |
| Change vs. no-change (1,351) | n/a | +28 | −147 | −355 | −355 |
| High Achievers MS magnet | n/a | Moves to Henderson | Moves to Henderson | Stays at Chamblee | Stays at Chamblee |
| Henderson feeds to high school | n/a | 3-way split | 1-to-1 to Lakeside | 1-to-1 to Lakeside | 1-to-1 to Lakeside |
Source: DeKalb County School District, Student Assignment Project, Engagement Session 3 materials. Session 3 presentation ↗
Survey response considerations
Suggested starting points for the Session 3 survey. Copy a response, then edit it in your own words and add your own family's story. Match each one to the question wording in the live survey.
What do you like about each option?
Appreciate all options keep Sagamore Hills in the Lakeside feeder pattern. Option B (Woodward) keeps Henderson on a one-to-one feed to Lakeside HS and moves High Achievers to Henderson, bringing advanced offerings closer to Sagamore Hills students. Options C and D (Dresden and John Lewis) also give every cluster a one-to-one feed at far lower cost ($10-15M vs. $60-100M) and keep Henderson under capacity (63%).
What concerns you about each option?
For all options: Henderson's 1,590 capacity may reflect square footage, not instructional space. Option A splits Henderson three ways for high school. We are also concerned with the utilization calculation methodology, and that an influx of students will lead to overcrowding and larger class sizes that are already 35+. Option B (Woodward) costs $60-100M and removes 696 elementary seats. Options C and D (Dresden and John Lewis) leave High Achievers at Chamblee, leaving Henderson-zone gifted students underserved by advanced offerings. Under-capacity at Henderson in C & D may risk loss of programs and resources.
Feedback on special program locations
Moving High Achievers to Henderson is a good start, but eligibility is broader than gifted-identified, so identified students can lose the lottery. No student should have to win a lottery to access gifted services. Please give identified students priority, size the program to Henderson's instructional capacity, phase it in, and protect Henderson's STEM program. Identified students must receive gifted services at their neighborhood school, not only through a magnet. Please publish seats by zoned school.
Anything else before Session 4?
Please confirm Henderson's capacity using instructional space, not square footage, and recalculate utilization for each option. Sagamore Hills appreciates the one-to-one path to Henderson and Lakeside, and we would welcome more advanced academic options for Henderson students. Tucker MS offers accelerated math in grades 6-8 plus an IB program, and Peachtree MS offers accelerated math in grades 6-8, so Henderson families would value a comparable pathway. We look forward to working with the district on solutions that serve every student.
Lingering questions for the district
These are questions we still want answered before Engagement Session 4. Raise them in the survey, at a public comment session, or in a focus group.
- Does Henderson's 1,590 capacity accurately reflect instructional space?
- How many High Achievers students would move with the program to Henderson? Many live in Chamblee's zone and likely would not.
- Of Chamblee's 247 non-zoned students, 84 come from Henderson's zone and 82 from Peachtree's. What fills Chamblee's 92-100% forecast?
- Henderson lists 31 gifted-certified teachers for 307 identified students. How does Henderson use gifted funding?
- Henderson offers advanced math only in 8th grade, while Tucker MS offers it in grades 6-8 along with an IB program, and Peachtree MS offers accelerated math in grades 6-8. What advanced math options will Henderson offer in 6th and 7th grade?
Your voice counts: two steps
Sagamore's voice needs to be loud in the Session 3 survey. Multiple parents per household can respond, and neighbors without currently enrolled children can respond too.
Take the survey
It takes a few minutes. We drafted suggested answers you can copy and edit in your own words.
Sign up for a focus group
Registration for a virtual focus group becomes available after you complete the survey. Amplify your impact and sign up.
The Session 3 survey closes November 10. Public comment sessions are November 4 and 5, 6–8 pm.
No student should have to win a lottery to have access to gifted services.
Henderson has 307 gifted-identified students in 2025–26, up 40 from last year. Only Chamblee and Peachtree have more among Area 1 middle schools. Henderson needs more options for high achievers, and moving the High Achievers magnet to Henderson (Options A and B) is a start.
Take the survey. Join a focus group.
Engagement Session 3 is open now. Complete the survey, sign up for a virtual focus group, and help spread the word so more neighbors respond too.