ATLANTA – State Representative Valencia Stovall (D-Forest Park) today issued the following statement in response to the Clayton County school board’s resolution opposing the Nov. 8 ballot referendum for a statewide Opportunity School District:
“It is a disappointment for the Clayton County school board to pass a resolution opposing the Opportunity School District (OSD) amendment and not address the fact that 73 percent of our schools scored below a ‘C’ on the College and Career Ready Performance Index. Clayton County schools have the lowest graduation rates in metro Atlanta — lower than the state’s average. Not one of Clayton County’s elementary schools had more than 55 percent of students pass the language arts and math sections on the 2016 Georgia Milestones Assessment.
“Our economic viability depends upon an effective school system, but this is not what we currently have. The Clayton County school district is failing our students. I remain in support of the passage of the OSD amendment because our students cannot wait. My daughter and her friends, 2015 graduates of a failing school, feel this negative impact in college.
“Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) has a budget of over $600 million, and it is evident that these dollars are not being spent on students. I compiled a chart of all CCPS grade scores over the past three years. CCPS and Clayton County’s superintendent are yet to be accountable to the stakeholders. I have requested these plans since February 2015 and still to date have not received answers.”
The Clayton County school board passed a resolution opposing the OSD amendment on Tuesday, September 6, 2016. The proposed OSD constitutional amendment would allow the state to take over schools considered failing and will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.
*Editor’s note: a document from Rep. Stovall’s office containing CCPS grade scores is attached for your convenience: vstovall-ccps-grade-scores-osd2016
Representative Valencia Stovall represents the citizens of District 74, which includes portions of Clayton County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2012, and currently serves on the Code Revision, Education, Interstate Cooperation, and Small Business Development committees.
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