Bibb County School District holds town hall on school consolidation plans

The district says input from previous town halls, focus groups and community surveys helped shape the three proposed consolidation scenarios.

February 6, 2025

Tucker Sargent,

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bibb County School District hosted a School Consolidation Town Hall on Thursday as part of its ongoing review process to evaluate potential school consolidations.

More than 120 stakeholders, including parents, staff members, community and business partners, Board of Education members, political representatives and students, attended the town hall, which provided an opportunity for attendees to review three potential school consolidation scenarios and offer feedback. According to the district, the consolidation review process, which began earlier this school year, is focused on data analysis and stakeholder engagement to “empower the District to make informed decisions that prioritize financial efficiency and significantly enhance student outcomes and experiences.”

The district presented plans in July for a four-phase data collection process. A School Consolidation Steering Committee, made up of about 50 representatives from various stakeholder groups, has been analyzing factors including enrollment trends, facility age and capacity, budget implications and community impact since September. The district says input from previous town halls, focus groups and community surveys helped shape the three proposed consolidation scenarios.

Proposed Consolidation Scenarios:

Scenario 1: Hartley Elementary School would consolidate with Ingram-Pye Elementary and Southfield Elementary. Hartley students would be reassigned accordingly, while middle and high school enrollment would remain the same, with students attending Ballard and Southwest.
Scenario 2: Williams Elementary School would consolidate with Ingram-Pye Elementary and Hartley Elementary. Williams students would be reassigned to these schools, with middle and high school students continuing to attend Miller and Central.
Scenario 3: Porter Elementary School would consolidate with Heard Elementary and Skyview Elementary. Porter students would be reassigned, while middle and high school enrollment would remain unchanged, with students attending Rutland Middle and Rutland High.

The district says feedback from Thursday’s town hall will be combined with input from additional school and community meetings in the coming weeks. The next step in the review process includes developing three non-consolidation scenarios for further consideration.

Share your feedback about the scenarios through Let’s Talk at https://www.bcsdk12.net/about-us/lets-talk using the tab for School Consolidation.