Stage Door Theatre sets ‘The Cottage’ ► PAGE 7
September 25, 2025 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | Ser ving the community since 1976
Elections Board removes dropbox from VRE office Redistricting By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — During early voting this year, there will not be an absentee drop box at the DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections Office on Memorial Drive. At its Sept. 10 meeting, the DeKalb
Elections Board decided to remove the drop box due to a decline in active voter registrations, which have fallen below 500,000. State law requires counties to have at least one drop box, but they can have no more than one per 100,000 voters, according to NPR. DeKalb County typically has six drop boxes and needs to have at least
500,000 active voters to maintain them. As of Sept. 10, there are 565,511 registered voters; of those, 499,453 are active and 66,058 are inactive. Those numbers are a moving target and change daily, DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections Executive Director Keisha Smith said.
See DROPBOX, Page 27
ZOE SEILER/APPEN MEDIA
DeKalb County Commissioners Robert Patrick, Mereda Davis Johnson, Nicole Massiah, Michelle Long Spears, Chakira Johnson, Ted Terry and LaDena Bolton discussed an operational assessment, and minimum square footage requirements during the county commission meeting Sept. 9, 2025.
Commission divided over minimum unit size amendment By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County Commission is considering reducing the minimum unit size for single-family homes. The legislation is slowly moving through the approval process.
Commissioners deferred the item for another two weeks during their meeting Sept. 9. If approved, the change would apply to homes zoned R-75 and R-85. The current minimum home size in R-75 is 1,600 square feet. Zoning of R-85 carries a minimum of 1,800 square feet, which was established in 1999.
County staff have not recommended the amendment and say it’s up to the commissioners. The zoning amendment was first introduced in June 2024 and brought forward by Presiding Officer Michelle Long Spears.
See DIVIDED, Page 27
strategy nears as enrollment trends lower By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County School District lost 10,000 students over the past decade, but there’s been little to no change to the district’s attendance boundaries and school programs. That will soon change. The district’s Student Assignment Plan process is evaluating data, including school capacity, enrollment and facility conditions. The process will guide school officials as they decide which schools could face closure or repurposing. Executive Director of Student Assignment Sarita Smith will lead the charge and make preliminary recommendations about redistricting starting in January. She’ll receive input from a nearly 150-person committee that has met monthly since last autumn. Currently, 83 percent of the county’s elementary school seats are filled, with 9,000 seats open; 79 percent of middle school seats are filled, with 5,000 seats open; and 87 percent of high school seats are filled, with 4,000 seats open. Overall, that’s 18,000 empty seats in the district.
See REDISTRICT, Page 28
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