Sen. Emanuel Jones Commends Georgia Supreme Court for Upholding Law Protecting DeKalb County Schools

ATLANTA (October 17, 2025) -Today, Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) praised the Georgia Supreme Court's decision to uphold Senate Bill 209, legislation he authored in 2021 to prevent Atlanta Public Schools (APS) from automatically expanding into DeKalb County when the City of Atlanta annexes new property.

In the court case, Luke Pilato and Ashley McCullough sued the state after being prevented from enrolling their children in APS following the City of Atlanta's annexation of their property in DeKalb County. However, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the pair should have sued the school district due to SB 209.

"When I introduced SB 209 in 2021, my goal was to protect DeKalb County's public schools and ensure that local resources continue to support the students and families they were meant to serve," said Sen. Jones. "At the request of DeKalb County Schools, our delegation stepped in to help resolve this issue, and I'm proud that the Court upheld the law we passed. This is a clear win for DeKalb families and educators, and it brings long-overdue clarity to a complicated dispute."

The Georgia Supreme Court's decision can be read here.

The full version of SB 209 can be read here.

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Sen. Emanuel Jones represents the 10th Senate District, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. He may be reached at (404)656-0502 or via email at [email protected].

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