LOWNDES COUNTY, GA — On Wednesday, the Valdosta City School Board voted to relocate the Valdosta Early College Academy to J. L. Newbern Middle School, stepping back from an initial plan that would have shut the program down entirely.
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Wednesday's decision comes after a week of uncertainty, meetings, and strong feedback from parents across the community.
The current VECA building is set to be demolished due to ongoing structural issues tied to years of storm damage.
The relocation allows high school students to stay on track and complete the program, while younger students will transition into a new model over time.
Parents say the initial announcement caught them off guard. Many questioned how a unanimous board decision was reached without first consulting families, students, or staff.
"Why wouldn't you communicate this with the parents and the kids? And how can you make it a united decision for the board members? How can you make a unanimous decision, and you don't even talk to your stakeholders? How is this possible?" parent JaTaryia Thomas said.
Parent Deron Johnson says this outcome shows the school board is starting to listen.
“I think they really took what parents were saying to heart. You can see they’re trying to move in the right direction now, and that means a lot for families like ours," Johnson said.
Johnson added that the community's involvement made a direct difference in the outcome.
"Everything that happened before this meeting today meant that the input from the students, the teachers, and the parents was taken into consideration and allowed the board to make a different decision on the future of VECA. I again, I'm encouraged because it's not the end of the program," Johnson said.
District leaders say their goal is to preserve what makes VECA unique — even in a new space.
The decision is now final, but families say the real focus is making sure that the transition works for every student.
The district initially announced plans to close the VECA program back in April. The program serves more than 250 students.
During a parent meeting, concerns quickly surfaced and pushed district leaders back to the drawing board. A second meeting followed on May 4th.
A community survey conducted in between the two meetings drew 148 responses. Of those, 103 opposed shutting down VECA, citing concerns about student stability, academic pathways, and communication. More than 140 respondents supported alternatives, including relocating the program or repairing the building to keep it operational.
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