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Not in My Backyard!
Building community support for new
schools
By Susan Hale, Fulton County School
System Communication Project Manager
Community schools are advocated in
theory. In reality, school systems face
many obstacles when neighborhoods
realize that a new school is going up in
their back yards. Lighting, traffic
patterns, privacy fences, and more
become major issues that can divide a
community and cause conflict.
By August 2004, the Fulton County School
System will have opened 31 new schools
in only eight years. While the thought
of new schools is generally welcomed, in
some cases the community initially has
not been thrilled to have a school as a
new neighbor. School construction is
rarely a quiet, clean process, and there
seem to be more unknowns than
certainties when it comes to its effect
on property values, quality of life, and
attendance zones. Parents also fear the
adjustment their children must make when
transitioning to a new school.
Meetings address community concerns
To address many of these concerns, the
Fulton County School System instituted a
process that allows for community
engagement and exchange of information.
As soon as the location of a new school
is determined, system staff begins
preparing for community meetings –
usually three to 10 meetings – to
introduce the construction timeline,
design plans, and to begin working with
the public about their specific issues.
The meetings allow an opportunity to
directly ask questions, receive
information, and provide feedback.
Through these meetings the school system
can gauge the efficacy of its
construction process and address
potential problems, such as traffic,
lighting, redistricting, and bus
transportation. With timely and complete
information, community tension can be
diffused before ground is even broken on
the new school site.
Community, school system brought
together.
Although the community at large is
invited to the meetings, several
specific groups are targeted. Parents of
children attending the new school, those
with children in neighboring schools
affected by redistricting, and adjacent
property owners and homeowner
associations are key groups to reach and
with whom to communicate. They are the
groups who have the most at stake or who
will have a long-term relationship with
the school.
The meeting presenters involve a wide
cross-section of school system
personnel, construction contractors,
architects, and
civil/traffic/landscaping engineers,
while school principals, area
superintendents, Board of Education
members, and other elected officials
attend to answer questions as they
arise. Members of the district’s
internal Construction department and
Communications department play a vital
role in coordinating and publicizing
meetings. Citizens are notified of the
meetings through media, letters to
homeowner associations, and fliers sent
to schools that will rezone or feed into
the new building.
In addition, the Fulton County School
System is fortunate to have a strong,
supportive relationship with its county
government and commissioners. A liaison
from the Fulton County Government
attends the meetings and meets regularly
with school system staff about county
growth and construction issues. This
relationship allows for better
communication between the two agencies
and a faster and more efficient
construction process.
Success stories
A successful community meeting will
raise issues that are important to
citizens, resulting in the school system
and local government officials working
together to address concerns. As an
outcome of some community meetings,
safety has been improved – traffic
lights were added or adjusted and the
county government agreed to install
sidewalks without an additional cost to
the school system. Transportation routes
also have been adjusted, making bus
travel more timely and efficient, and
landscaping agreements have been reached
to blend in with local neighborhoods.
Other success stories involve the
construction of an underground retention
drainage system at a new elementary
school located near a polluted stream.
Water studies show that after the
drainage system was introduced, the
stream water now runs clearer and
cleaner. Sedimentation and erosion
control also was addressed, garnering
state and national recognition for the
Fulton County School System.
In another case, land challenges forced
the construction of a middle school on
an awkward and constrained site. A
prototype for a new two-story design
resulted and the school system reduced
the size of a proposed running track in
order to provide a larger buffer between
the school property and the adjacent
neighborhood. Nearby residents, who once
peppered the school system with angry
questions and concerns, are now some of
the school’s strongest supporters
because of the opportunity to give
feedback through community meetings.
As another example, the school system’s
decision to rebuild an aging school in a
new location originally drew ire from
community members citing increased
traffic and safety concerns associated
with the new site. In addition, the
previous school – the oldest in Fulton
County – had a very traditional look not
often found in current school
construction prototypes. Community
meetings addressed the traffic and
safety concerns, while also resulting in
a change to the school’s façade to be
more in keeping with its history.
Community meetings – everyone wins
Community meetings show that the school
system and local governments are willing
to cooperate with neighborhoods. As a
result, the community continues its
strong support of the local schools.
The Fulton County School System has
learned that while significant
challenges can exist with new school
construction, many of these obstacles
can be resolved through honest, open
communication and a willingness to
compromise. By working together, both
the school system and the community can
head off controversy and create a
win-win situation. Community meetings
allow an opportunity for both sides to
collaborate for the good of the
neighborhood schools and children. |
