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West End families have long chosen M.A. Jones Elementary School as a popular choice for neighborhood children. But while they showed up at the elementary level, turnout at middle and high school meetings was lower—leaving other communities with more influence over Washington Cluster decisions.
With Atlanta Public Schools’ new facilities plan now on the table, M.A. Jones Elementary School faces the risk of closure.
APS released its long-range facilities master plan on August 22, ahead of community conversations scheduled for the last week of August and September 3–4. In all three scenarios for the Washington Cluster, APS proposes shifting middle school students from Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy to Herman J. Russell West End Academy and redrawing the cluster’s boundary to send more students to Russell and Booker T. Washington High School. These ideas were introduced in the 2023 and 2024 facilities master plan community discussions.
For West End families, whose children attend Jones, Russell, and Washington, these changes keep Russell and Washington intact. The biggest difference between scenarios is what happens to M.A. Jones Elementary School, a state-recognized and well-attended school among West End families.
“Past experience shows that those who turn out often shape the outcome.”
Community resistance has already shaped past facilities’ proposals. In 2023, Midtown High School students staged a well-publicized walkout that helped stop a rezoning plan affecting their neighborhoods. In 2024, a strong showing from Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy supporters stalled a middle school consolidation into Herman J. Russell West End Academy. Both examples show how organized turnout influenced APS to hold back or revise its plans.
Now, consolidation at Russell and cluster boundary changes are back on the table for another round of community debate.
Four takeaways affecting West End families
- Herman J. Russell West End Academy: Proposed as the Washington Cluster’s only middle school, absorbing Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy grades 6–8 as originally floated in spring 2024.
- M.A. Jones Elementary: In two of three scenarios, the beloved West End school would close and be repurposed. It’s first time the school on the chopping block after not being included in previous facility master plan community discussions.
- Rezoning: The Washington Cluster boundary could expand, drawing from the Douglas Cluster rather than Midtown Cluster as proposed in 2023.
- Historic Schools Preserved: All scenarios maintain Herman J. Russell West End Academy and Booker T. Washington High School for instructional use, signaling APS’s commitment to historic preservation in facilities planning. Both school buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Past experience shows that those who turn out often shape the outcome. The proposals to move middle grades to Herman J. Russell West End Academy and redraw the cluster boundary reflect discussions at earlier facilities plan meetings—proof that community voices have already influenced APS decisions.
The question now is whether West End families will show up with the same force to protect M.A. Jones and shape the future of their schools.
APS is offering multiple opportunities for feedback, both at in-person and virtual sessions.
The APS Board of Education is scheduled to hear a first reading of the recommended changes in its November meeting and then will consider a vote at its December meeting.
Community Outreach Meetings
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 @ 6:00 p.m.
Jean Childs Young Middle School
3116 Benjamin E Mays Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30311
Thursday, September 4, 2025 @ 6:00 p.m.
K-5 Dual Campus Engagement Opportunity
Morris Brandon Elementary Main Campus
2741 Howell Mill Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30327
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 @ 6:30 p.m.
Over-Utilized High Schools Engagement Opportunity
Midtown High School Auditorium
929 Charles Allen Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
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