Hallways are full, stairwells are crammed, and good luck getting an elevator. North Atlanta is bursting at its seams. A sleek campus repurposed from an old IBM office building, the school opened with only 1,500 students enrolled. Over the past twelve years, that number has ballooned to over 2,300. The surge in enrollment represents a huge triumph for North Atlanta, but that very success is creating major issues. Soon, the school will reach capacity, and Atlanta Public Schools (APS) will be forced to make adjustments. 

APS’s largest school just keeps on growing. In 2009, the district projected an increase in enrollment that predicted the Northside Drive campus wouldn’t be able to accommodate enough students. So, North Atlanta opened its new campus for the 2013-14 school year, and since then, enrollment has increased from 1,524 to 2,377 students, representing a 3.9% annual rise. That figure alone may not seem very impressive, but when compared to other public schools in the area, North Atlanta’s growth is astounding. With a growth rate of 3.9%, nearly double Dunwoody’s 2.2%, and well above Campbell’s 2.1%, Lakeside’s 1.1%, and Riverwood’s 0.5%, North Atlanta is quite literally the fastest growing school in the area. Tracy Joyner, a science teacher who’s been at North Atlanta since 2019, thinks she has a hint about why so many people want to go to North Atlanta. “It’s such a diverse place and the IB program gives students so many unique opportunities,” she said.

However, all this growth is beginning to cause problems. According to data from APS, North Atlanta is currently at 95% capacity. With that number only expected to grow, students and teachers may be forced to endure uncomfortable conditions. Class sizes are becoming larger and 16 teachers must now “float” around the building, teaching in a variety of different classrooms. A former floater teacher, Kelsey Sirmans, felt like the hardest part of floating was supplies. “Where do I keep all my stuff? They gave us carts, but they were hard to move around the building,” she said. 

But overcrowding is the price of popularity. North Atlanta began firmly establishing itself as the school of choice in the area when it opened a new campus in a refurbished IBM building. People in the area saw the remarkable campus, and word began to spread about the success students were having. Sports programs were thriving and the IB (International Baccalaureate) Program became the school’s biggest attraction. IB students were getting into top colleges at astonishing rates. According to Cluster Superintendent and former Principal Curtis Douglass, a large population of kids from private schools moved to North Atlanta. “They saw their neighbors’ kids in public school having the same experience as private school kids—but at a much cheaper cost—while still getting into the same colleges,” Douglass said. 

North Atlanta’s growth says a lot about the high-quality education and opportunities it provides for students. Atlanta Public Schools is currently undergoing a planning process for the district’s long-term needs, and has a district facilities meeting planned for September 8th at North Atlanta.