Atlanta Schools Implement Closures, Reading Programs, Cellphone Bans by 2026

Atlanta Public Schools approved the APS Forward 2040 plan that will close, merge or repurpose 16 schools beginning in fall 2026, forcing families and administrators to decide how to reassign students and staff in the months ahead.

The timing matters because the district faces declining enrollment and aging buildings at the same time new literacy and cellphone rules are scheduled to launch. Parents will need to track assignment changes for the coming school year while the district works out details on which buildings stay open and how instruction shifts.

The George Washington Carver STEAM Academy on the south side will close after the 2026-2027 school year under the same restructuring, giving families in that neighborhood a concrete deadline to prepare transfer requests or explore nearby options still operating.

Cellphone and Reading Changes Roll Out This Year

Metro Atlanta schools are adopting policies that require students to store phones in pouches during class, a shift that will require schools to purchase equipment and train staff before the first bell rings in August. Atlanta Public Schools will also introduce a literacy plan aligned with the science of reading, emphasizing phonics, fluency and vocabulary across elementary grades.

Attendance Gains Provide One Benchmark

Georgia recorded a chronic absenteeism rate of 19.5 percent, the lowest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to state data cited by local education outlets. District leaders can point to that figure as evidence that some post-pandemic habits are easing, yet they still must decide how to maintain momentum while managing building closures.

Atlanta Public Schools will release assignment details and training schedules for the literacy plan and pouch program through its communications channels in the coming weeks, leaving families to monitor those updates and attend any community meetings the district schedules before fall classes start.