Closure rumor hurting Southside Middle School enrollment
A Dougherty County School System spokesman said late Thursday afternoon that Southside Middle School would be closed at the end of the current school year to make way for Phase II work on the new 4C Academy. The DCSS also said an effort would be made to find fits within the system for 59 teachers and staffers whose jobs will be affected by the change. (Herald File Photo)
By Terry Lewis
ALBANY — The Dougherty County School System is dealing with rumors that Southside Middle School will be closing in January to make room for the new Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy — and the rumors are affecting enrollment.
School system spokesman J.D. Sumner said those rumors have led to confusion and a drop in enrollment numbers at Southside.
“We’ve had a good number of parents attempt to enroll their middle school students into other (county) schools because they think that Southside is closing in January to become the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy,” Sumner said. “The truth is that, while the CCCCA will use a part of Southside, the school itself will remain open to middle school students.”
Southside Principal Frederick Polite said he has been “catching it” for the past week from concerned Southside parents, and the confusion has hurt the school’s enrollment.
“Everywhere I’ve gone this past week, that’s all (parents) wanted to talk about,” Polite said Friday. “The rumor has put a huge dent in our enrollment. I figure we are down 100 students from last year. And the trouble is, I don’t know where these (missing) kids are.”
A $3 million renovation for the CCCCA is currently under way on the north wing of Southside, and the middle school students have been moved to the other side of the building. That renovation work is scheduled to be complete by January of next year.
As the CCCCA grows, the students at Southside will eventually be moved into Dougherty Middle School and the Academy will fully take over Southside. That timeline, however, has not been set.
“Any time we close a school or move students somewhere, we will try to keep the public informed,” Sumner said. “We want to make sure that the parents of anybody who is enrolled in an affected school knows what’s going on.
The new college and career academy is a first for the students in Southwest Georgia. It will be run by a CEO, businessman Chris Hatcher, and Principal Angie Gardner. Both will answer to a board of directors named by the Dougherty County School System, Albany Technical College, Albany State University, the Albany-Area Chamber of Commerce and the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission.
The CCCCA will serve students in the Dougherty County, Baker County, Terrell County and Calhoun County school systems.
Related Articles
Albany teen, 16, makes bodybuilding debut at Atlanta OCB Pro/Am
Crockett, an Albany resident and student at Albany Technical College Academy, placed second in the teen bikini division this weekend at the OCB Immortal Muscle Pro/Am Bodybuilding Competition in Atlanta, becoming the youngest competitor across all categories at the event.
Retired Albany educator makes an impact as jail school instructor
Shortly after taking office in January 2025, Dougherty County Sheriff Terron Hayes initiated the “Jail to Jobs” program that helps students prepare for the GED exams, and Benjamin Johnson was tapped as the inaugural instructor.
Skills Challenge attracts more than 250 high school construction students
For hundreds of area students, the 2025 AGC South + Southwest Georgia Skills Challenge was a chance to display their talents in construction skills and get a look at what a career in one of those fields could mean.
