Decatur: World Cup Comes to the Square, Plus a $134.7M School Budget

Hey Decatur! Big week for news out of the Square and the school district. The City Schools of Decatur board approved a $134.7 million budget, the superintendent is facing some pointed community heat over podcast involvement, and FIFA just greenlit five weeks of World Cup matches on Decatur Square next summer. Plenty to dig into below.

- News — A $134.7M school budget is set, WatchFest '26 is officially happening on the Square, and the superintendent controversy isn't going away quietly.
- Events — Buffalo Nichols at Eddie's Attic, a Kennedy Ryan book talk at First Baptist, and Jimmy Fest at Wild Heaven headline a packed week.
- Government — DeKalb County commissioners meet Tuesday to adopt tentative millage rates and sanitation fee hikes, Decatur commissioners talked resident parking, while Avondale Estates holds public hearings on two major redevelopment projects totaling nearly 15 acres.
- Construction — A protected cycle track is coming to East College Avenue, Kensington MARTA is getting a mobility overhaul, and Drexel Avenue is having a particularly rough week in the service request queue.

Let's dive in.

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Decatur school board approves $134.7 million budget plan
The City Schools of Decatur board has signed off on a $134.7 million budget for the coming fiscal year — a number that touches every family and taxpayer from Oakhurst to Winnona Park to Clairemont Ave. The plan sets the financial foundation for local schools, so if you have kids in the district — or just a property tax bill — this one's worth paying attention to.

Decatur WatchFest '26 to show 60-plus World Cup matches on the Square
FIFA has given the green light for Decatur WatchFest '26 to broadcast more than 60 World Cup matches on large screens at Decatur Square, running June 11 through July 19. That's five weeks of international soccer turning Downtown Decatur into the neighborhood watch party you didn't know you needed; plan accordingly.

Decatur Schools superintendent under fire over podcasts
The City Schools of Decatur superintendent is facing pointed community criticism over involvement in certain podcasts, and the scrutiny isn't dying down quietly. For parents and residents who expect steady, transparent leadership from the district, this is exactly the kind of institutional friction that erodes trust — and it's worth following closely.

Decatur approves construction contract for Ebster Park
The City Commission has formally approved a construction contract to kick off upgrades at Ebster Park, pushing a long-anticipated improvement project into motion. For residents in and around Downtown Decatur, this is the city making good on its commitment to green space — shovels, apparently, are finally going in the ground.

Agnes Scott College to open three historic homes for short-term rentals
Starting June 1, Agnes Scott College will rent out three carefully restored historic homes on West College Avenue to short-term visitors — a smart use of beautiful campus-adjacent property that's been sitting largely out of public reach. For the South Candler and Oakhurst neighborhoods, it means a genuinely charming new lodging option right in the mix.

DeKalb County Commission and School Board Races Head to Runoffs
The May 19 primary didn't settle everything — several key DeKalb County Commission and School Board races are headed to runoff elections, meaning voters in Brookhaven, Chamblee, and beyond get another say in who shapes local government and education policy. If you sat out the primary, now is not the time to keep sitting.

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Tuesday, May 26
- Truckin' Tuesdays | Legacy Park
- David Ryan Harris: In Residence at Eddie's Attic | Eddie's Attic
- Kelly Quindlen with Julian Winters - This Must be the Place! | Little Shop of Stories
- $5 Beer + Taco + Trivia Tuesdays in Avondale | Wild Heaven Beer

Wednesday, May 27
- Senior Health & Fitness Day Fair | Decatur Recreation Center
- Dinner and Drinks: Pop Up with Chef Michael Condon | The Reading Room
- The Bean Tones | Eddie's Attic
- Buffalo Nichols | Eddie's Attic

Thursday, May 28
- Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home by Katharine K. Wilkinson | 184 S. Candler St.
- Sustainable Landscaping Volunteer Day | Legacy Park
- Kennedy Ryan & Jahquel J Book Talk | First Baptist Church of Decatur
- Willow the Cat | Waller's Coffee Shop
- Singing Workshop in the Pavilion – May | Woodlands Garden

Friday, May 29
- Opening Reception: Homeland Exhibition | Decatur Library
- Angie Aparo | Eddie's Attic
- Maxwell Street: A tribute to '70s rock | Avondale Estates Business District
- No God but Us: Bobuq Sayed in conversation with Garrard Conley | 184 S. Candler St.

Saturday, May 30
- Grindhouse Killer Burgers 10-Year Anniversary Bash | Grindhouse
- Decatur FC VS. UFA | Decatur High School
- BA Asian Market | Pastries A Go Go
- Kevin Scott's "Resonant Paths" | Eddie's Attic
- Paint a Pot with L'Arche | Woodlands Garden
- Tai Chi/Qigong 4 Beginners | Legacy Park
- Yoga with Amanda | Decatur Library

Sunday, May 31
- Jimmy Fest | Wild Heaven Beer
- Music in the Garden | Woodlands Garden
- DIY Vehicle Maintenance Basics + Hands-On Brake Change Clinic | 184 S. Candler St.
- Susto Stringband | Eddie's Attic
- Joey Pecoraro | Eddie’s Attic
- R&B Brunch with DJ Blovely | The Reading Room
- DIE LAUGHING COMEDY SHOW (21+) | Roaring Social Decatur

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GOVERNMENT

Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Past Week Roundup

Decatur City Commission

The commission took a major stand on local logistics this week by unanimously denying a controversial proposal to overhaul residential parking, choosing instead to find a less burdensome solution for residents. While parking rules remain in flux, the city is moving forward with significant infrastructure investments, including an $822,000 renovation for the Glenlake tennis courts and more than $500,000 for updated police radios and body cameras. Meanwhile, the Historic Preservation Commission is scheduled to consider a potential construction moratorium that could temporarily freeze development across certain historic areas. This agenda also includes a proposal to designate the Decatur Cemetery as a Local Historic District to ensure its long-term preservation. Other advisory boards focused on lifelong community and environmental sustainability were also slated to meet to discuss ongoing city initiatives.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners – Committee of the Whole

The Committee of the Whole met May 21 and advanced a slate of items that will directly affect residents' budgets and daily commutes. Tentative 2026 millage rates were accepted and moved toward a full Board vote — the first step in setting property tax bills for the year — while proposed fee increases for both residential and commercial sanitation services and public parking at county facilities were also advanced. On the infrastructure front, the committee moved forward with official county support for GDOT roundabout construction at two major intersections: Ponce De Leon Avenue at East Lake Road and Clairmont Road at Rosecliff Drive, projects that will reshape traffic flow on two well-traveled corridors. The committee also advanced a public hearing on extending the current moratorium on adult entertainment businesses, and approved $98,750 from District 1 reserves for a childcare and caregiving needs assessment — a study that could shape future policy on one of the region's most pressing affordability issues. Several PDK Airport projects also cleared the committee, including a $1.86 million perimeter security fence replacement and $275,000 for the 2026 Good Neighbor Day Airshow.

Avondale Estates Planning, Architectural & Zoning Board

Two major redevelopment proposals are scheduled for public hearing before the Avondale Estates PAZB on May 21, and together they represent some of the most significant proposed changes to the city's central corridors in recent memory. The larger of the two involves a 13-acre site near Oak Street and Laredo Drive, where 278 Oak Holdings (a partnership including Avila Real Estate and Hedgewood Homes) is proposing a mix of multifamily housing, townhomes, and single-family homes on land currently zoned for central business use. A second, smaller proposal from ATMOS Project, LLC covers roughly 1.9 acres near Franklin and Olive Streets, where the developer is seeking to build single-family homes and townhomes on a site also currently zoned CBD. If the board recommends approval, both projects would advance to the Board of Mayor and Commissioners for a final decision — but as agenda items only, they may be deferred, tabled, or withdrawn before or during the meeting. The board is also scheduled to review public engagement results on updates to the city's Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Master Plan, the guiding documents that will shape how Avondale Estates manages growth, traffic, and green space over the next decade.

City Schools of Decatur Board of Education

The CSD Board of Education had a busy week, holding a retreat, a public budget hearing, and a school leadership meeting across May 19 and 20. At the May 19 retreat, the board's most consequential work centered on the E-SPLOST VII referendum — a proposed extension of the one-penny education sales tax that funds school construction, technology, and facility upgrades without raising property taxes — positioning it for a formal public vote in the near future. The board also finalized proposed changes to semester credit and grading policies that will directly affect middle and high school students' transcripts and GPA calculations starting next school year, and advanced updates to its long-term Strategic Plan. Later that same day, the board held a mandatory public budget hearing, where Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker presented the district's financial outlook for the coming year and opened the floor to resident testimony — a required step before the board can officially set the millage rate that determines the school portion of Decatur property tax bills. No final budget vote was taken, and formal adoption is expected at a subsequent meeting.

Meetings This Week
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners — Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Commissioners are set to adopt tentative 2026 millage rates and consider fee increases for residential sanitation and stormwater utility services, moves that would directly affect what county residents pay on their property tax bills and monthly service charges. The agenda also includes a proposed $1.86 million security upgrade at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport and a public hearing on extending the county's moratorium on new adult entertainment businesses. A roundabout study for the intersection of Ponce De Leon Ave. NE at W. Ponce De Leon Ave./N. Parkwood Rd. is among the traffic safety items on the agenda.

- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole — Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM
- City of Avondale Estates — Board of Mayor and Commissioners Work Session — Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Commissioners are scheduled to discuss the preliminary 2026 tax digest and millage rate, which will shape property tax bills for Avondale Estates residents this year. The session will also cover preliminary plat applications for the Avila/Hedgewood development on North Maple Street and a proposed land exchange with private developers to secure property for city stormwater infrastructure.

- City of Avondale Estates — Board of Mayor and Commissioners Regular Meeting — Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Two public hearings are on the agenda for large-scale residential redevelopment projects: a 13-acre, multifamily and townhome proposal by 278 Oak Holdings LLC and a 1.91-acre townhome project by ATMOS Project LLC, together representing nearly 15 acres of new housing near Oak and Franklin Streets. The Board will also consider a design proposal for the Lake Avondale Dam and Stormwater Rehabilitation Project and an intergovernmental agreement with DeKalb County for US 278 repaving reimbursement.

- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Zoning Meeting — Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 5:30 PM
A wide-ranging zoning agenda is scheduled, including a D.R. Horton proposal for a 214-unit single-family subdivision, multiple commercial permits for a new QuikTrip on Memorial Drive, and county-wide text amendments addressing short-term rental taxation and a new "Repeated Nuisance" property ordinance. Several items closer to the Decatur area are on the agenda for public hearing, including a rezoning request at 4700 E. Ponce de Leon Ave. for a tire shop and emissions station, a rezoning at 4017 Memorial Dr. to accommodate Avondale Church of Christ, and dual rezoning requests at 705 and 711 Hillmont Ave. to convert commercially zoned lots to single-family residential.

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Permits

With only 10 permits filed — mostly routine single-family residential work — it was a quiet week for Decatur. A couple of items worth flagging:

- Business permits (2 filed) — Two new business licenses in the mix, though without specific addresses or descriptions in the data, it's hard to say what's opening where. Keep an eye out.
- Retail or Mercantile (1 filed) — One retail permit rounds out the commercial activity. Details are thin, but any new retail in the area is worth watching.

Total permitted value across all 10 permits came in at roughly $55K — modest by any measure. Nothing loud, nothing dramatic. Pencils down for now.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Kensington MARTA Station Transit Access & Mobility (Phase I, DeKalb County) — Improvements to transit access and mobility around the Kensington MARTA Station, about 1.7 miles from the area. If you use this station or drive nearby on Memorial Drive, expect some disruption around the station entrance and surrounding streets.
- I-285 from Snapfinger Road to SR-8 (DeKalb County) — Concrete rehabilitation and resurfacing work on SR-407 (I-285) between Snapfinger Road and SR-8, roughly 2.3 miles out. This stretch gets heavy freight and commuter traffic, so if I-285 east of Decatur is part of your regular route, build in extra time or find an alternate.

Pre-Construction

- SR-10 Road Diet & Cycle Track (DeKalb County) — A significant transformation is coming to the SR-10/East College Avenue corridor between S. Candler St./E. Trinity Place and Arcadia Ave./Sam's Crossing. Plans call for center left-turn lanes and a protected two-way cycle track, plus a road diet to calm traffic. Cyclists and pedestrians will benefit most here — drivers should expect fewer through lanes once work begins.
- Downtown Avondale Estates Multi-Modal Improvements — Shared-use paths are planned along Washington, Franklin, and Oak Streets in downtown Avondale Estates. Three separate locations are included in this project, making it one of the more substantial active-transportation upgrades coming to the area's core.
- Laredo Drive & N. Clarendon Ave. Pedestrian/Bike Enhancements — Sidewalk and connectivity improvements are planned at both Laredo Drive and N. Clarendon Avenue as part of a broader Vulnerable Road User (VRU) enhancement effort. Small-scale but meaningful for residents navigating those corners on foot or by bike.
- S. McDonough St./Oakview Rd. Shared Use Path — Running from Hosea L. Williams Drive to College Avenue, this project will add a multi-use path along South McDonough Street through the heart of Decatur. A practical win for anyone moving between neighborhoods on foot or wheels.
- Scott Blvd. Complete Streets Plan — Details on work type are still sparse, but a Complete Streets redesign is funded and queued up for Scott Boulevard. Stay tuned as specifics come into focus.

Service Requests

Residents filed 16 service requests across the area this week. Here's what's been reported:

- Code Violations — Flagged on Wilton Dr, Coventry Rd, and Chelsea Dr.
- Potholes — Two reports on Drexel Ave, including the intersection at Emerson Ave.
- Street Signs — Issues reported on W Howard Ave and Kathryn Ave.
- Vegetation Maintenance — Overgrowth at the Drexel Ave and W Howard Ave intersection.
- Sidewalk Maintenance — Reported on W Ponce de Leon Ave.
- Stormwater Issue — Drexel Ave at Emerson Ave — that intersection is having a busy week.
- Tree Maintenance — A request filed on Sycamore St.
- Graffiti — Spotted on Sycamore Pl.
- Traffic Signal Issue — Reported at S Columbia Dr.
- Missed Sanitation Collection — Nelson Ferry Rd.
- Electric Scooter/Bike — An abandoned or misparked device reported on Ridgeland Ave.
- Deceased Animal — Reported on Norris St.