Can schools be world class in teaching AND in managing real estate? Unlikely and neither is easy.
Can we do better? I hope so.
I urge you to take a field trip and see these places in person. You can visit all five in a couple of hours and getting there is a big part of the fun because you've probably never been to these neighborhoods.
If you are interested, join the Facebook group: SAVE Atlanta's Historic Schools. Get on the Atlanta Preservation Center's mailing list (bottom of the page). Join if you can.
The maps are in this blog post. The Channel 46 video is at the very bottom.
This is George W. Adair School (1912), abandoned for about 40 years, diamonds in brick with deteriorating plywood, a block from the SW BeltLine.
Here are the five starting with the "class photo." Price and dimensions from CNL Commercial Real Estate's website on 2015-02-07.
 Preston Arkwright School (1955) 1261 Lockwood Drive 30311 $485,000 30,829 SF acres: 4.06 Venetian Hills |  George W Adair School (1912) 711 Catherine St Atlanta 30310 Adair $350,000 37,610 SF acres: 1.2 Adair Park |
 West Atlanta Elementary School (1978 & 94) 1335 Kimberly Road Atlanta 30331 $2,900,000 51,588 SF acres: 14.32 |  Rosalie H Wright Elementary School (1958 & 69) 350 Autumn Lane Atlanta 3031 $510,000 24,192 SF acres: 1.9 Florida Heights |
 Milton Elementary School (1915) 202 Milton AVE 30315 Atlanta $415,000 20,452 SF acres: 2.446 Chosewood Park |
George W Adair School (1912) in Adair Park My 126 photos of Adair in Flickr.
711 Catherine St Atlanta 30310
A corner landmark overlooking a park, a charming setting.
Even the backside of Adair is amazing..
The site.
Milton Elementary School (1915) in Chosewood Park My 60 Flicker Pictures of Milton Elementary.
202 Milton AVE 30315 Atlanta
On the neighborhood's edge.
Preston Arkwright School (1955) My 54 pictures of Arkwright on Flickr.
1261 Lockwood Drive 30311
On a hillside among houses in Venetian Hills.
Rosalie H Wright Elementary School (1958 & 69) My 40 pictures of Wright on Flickr.
350 Autumn Lane Atlanta 30310
Smallish school among smallish houses on the northwestern edge of Westview Cemetery.
From the parking lot.
West Atlanta Elementary School (1978 & 94) My 58 photos of West Atlanta in Flickr.
1335 Kimberly Road Atlanta 30331
On a hilltop anticipating development of Kimberly road which apparently didn't develop beyond Ashley Courts.
The Channel 46 Video thanks to Steve the producer and Trevar Bacome.