ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate passed a local bill March 20 that would require a voter referendum for certain City Schools of Decatur bonds over $20 million. The bill is now in the House awaiting action.
Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, filed Senate Bill 625 on March 17. The bill says if the Decatur Public Facilities Authority were to issue revenue bonds to City Schools of Decatur over $20 million, voters would have to approve the issuance through a referendum.
CSD asked for a $52 million bond from the city’s Public Facilities Authority to build an Early Childhood Learning Center at 346 W. Trinity Place and make improvements at Decatur High School. The PFA approved the bond in October, and it was validated in December, but the funds have not been disbursed yet. The school district plans to repay the bond over 30 years using sales tax revenue at an interest rate not exceeding 6%.
The Decatur Public Facilities Authority was created through local legislation in 2017 when the city of Decatur was purchasing the United Methodist Children’s Home on South Columbia Drive, now known as Legacy Park. The PFA gave the city a way to borrow money quickly, and the original legislation also allowed CSD to borrow money under that authority.
SB 625 amends the original legislation to require that, for any CSD project costing $20 million or more, the PFA and the city must call a voter referendum to authorize the issuance of bonds.
The current proposed ECLC costs about $22 million. The early learning center building will hold 150 students, with 50 students able to attend at no cost, 50 having reduced tuition for CSD staff and 50 paying tuition to attend. Among the building’s amenities will be an enclosed courtyard for supervised outdoor play and high-raised windows in early learning classrooms for privacy.
Parent told Decaturish that the legislation would apply to a bond that has been validated, and if the bill passes before the bond is issued, a referendum may be required.
The legislative session ends on April 2. City Schools of Decatur cannot apply for permits until after the historic preservation process ends on April 20. A group of Beacon Hill elders has requested that the green space and several surrounding properties be designated a local historic district to preserve the history of the former Black community.
The legislation comes after Parent and Reps. Omari Crawford and Mary Margaret Oliver, both representing Decatur, sent the school board a letter on March 15 demanding that CSD hold a public referendum before proceeding with construction of the ECLC on West Trinity Place. They said they would file the legislation if the board did not act. So far, the board has not issued any public response or held any public meetings about the legislators’ demand.
The legislators said they support creating a new early learning facility, but are worried about how it is dividing the city.
“However, we are increasingly concerned that the visible conflict among our elected leaders and our other community stakeholders is accelerating and painful for all of us,” they wrote. “It does not serve the needs of children in the community nor the city of Decatur itself for such division to persist.”
The letter notes that the community is frustrated with the school board’s actions.
“Many community members have raised concerns with us, chief among them that the process to reach the decision to build the ECLC has not been open, transparent, and collaborative, specifically with respect to community stakeholder input on the cost, scope, and location of the proposed project,” the Decatur legislators said.
How we got here: A timeline of the Decatur Early Childhood Learning Center project
The Decatur Early Childhood Learning Center has been a topic of discussion since at least 2017, but the project’s details have evolved along the way. Here is a recap of significant moments in the ECLC project’s history.
May 2017: The City Schools of Decatur purchased 346 W. Trinity Place, a greenspace and former home to Allen Wilson Terrace, a public housing apartment complex in Beacon Hill.
March 2019: During the State of the City Address, then School Board Chair Lewis Jones said the board’s priority in 2019 was planning for and figuring out how to fund a new Early Childhood Learning Center, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
October 2021: The Decatur School Board discussed the district’s five-year master plan, which included a $24 million combined Early Childhood Learning Center and upper elementary at 346 W. Trinity Place.
April 2023: The Decatur School Board hired Gyimah Whitaker to become the district’s newest superintendent. Whitaker entered with an emphasis on closing the achievement gap for Black students through early learning.
August 2024: During a board retreat, Decatur Schools unveiled its new plan to construct a new Early Childhood Learning Center for ages 0-4. The proposed timeline featured a groundbreaking in fall 2025 and a grand opening in fall 2027.
Since the initial announcement, the district promoted the early learning center to better serve children in the Decatur Housing Authority, citing the location’s walkability. The ECLC would also look to add more seats for ages 0-4, with waitlists at both Frasier Center and College Heights ECLC.
December 2024: The first conceptual design of the ECLC is revealed. It is expected to hold 150 students, with 50 students attending for free through scholarships and CSD funding.
February 2025: During a board retreat, board members and staff work to craft a collective vision statement for what they want the ECLC to become
April 2025: The school board approved a $40,000 contract with Parrish Construction Group for pre-construction services on the ECLC. The contract was approved just minutes after a meeting attendee was physically removed for calling the board cowards for removing their equity policies in response to federal pressure.
June 2025: Chief Operations Officer Jarvis Adams, hired in March 2025, presented a new comprehensive capital improvement plan proposal that includes the planned ECLC along with multiple Decatur High School projects, including a new black box theater, auxiliary gym and added lab space in the current Frasier Center building.
The ECLC project is estimated to cost $22 million, and all projects combined totaled $35 million.
The Decatur City Commission was initially slated to discuss and vote on the ECLC development plan, but it was discovered that CSD did not require approval due to the property’s zoning, so the item was removed from the agenda.
August 2025: CSD begins seeking a bond for the projects. Following feedback from the Decatur Planning Commission to add more greenspace, the district also pitches a two-story option, raising the total project cost to $30 million. The board rejected this plan in September due to its cost.
At a community meeting, board members answer logistical questions on the ECLC. The audience support for the project is mixed.
October 2025: The board approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Decatur Public Facilities Authority for $52 million to construct the ECLC, the Decatur High School expansion and refinance former bonds.
The vote in the meeting was 4-1, with board member Tracey Anderson opposing due to concerns about cost and transparency during the process. However, the official meeting minutes approved in November show a 3-1-1 vote. The minutes said board member James Herndon recused himself, despite participating in the discussion.
The vote is largely overshadowed by the release of a “school consolidation” study that could lead to the closure of a K-2 school by December 2025 due to the district’s declining enrollment. The ECLC is explicitly discussed as separate from the study.
November 2025: The PFA bond is challenged by Decatur residents who claim the process had lacked transparency and excluded the community from public discussion.
December 2025: The bond is validated and CSD begins to plan for ECLC construction.
January 2026: The residents who challenged the bond decide against appealing the judge’s decision to validate it citing financial threats from the school district’s attorney.
The organizers of Decatur Day, a celebration with Beacon Hill community members held on the greenspace set to be the home of the ECLC, file a historic designation application on the site.
February 2026: The Historic Preservation Commission accepted the application, which would place a pause on the ECLC’s construction until the designation is voted on. CSD writes a letter refuting the need to stop work, but compromises by agreeing to wait until April 17.
Reporter Jim Bass and editor Dan Whisenhunt contributed to this story.
This story was provided by WABE media partner Decaturish.
