Chattahoochee High School lost an English teacher and a counselor in August after enrollment fell by nearly 130 students from the prior school year.
Students at the Johns Creek school received a schedule-change email on Aug. 31. By the end of the day, they learned the cause: English teacher Ms. Haviland had been reassigned to Northwestern Middle School, three weeks into the semester.
"When I saw that email, my first thought was 'You have got to be kidding me,'" senior Sebastian Madden told The Speculator, the school's student newspaper, which first reported the staffing changes on Monday, Sept. 28.
The enrollment decline also eliminated counselor Cornelius Camp's position. The school ended its senior reduction program, which had allowed graduating seniors on track to finish their credits to drop one class period per semester. The Speculator attributed that loss to the enrollment decline, though a Fulton County Schools cost-saving initiative launched in June 2025 also targeted schedule reductions district-wide.
Chattahoochee's $18 million budget is set on a per-pupil basis. Enrollment projections made each February determine how many teachers the school can hire for the following year. When actual enrollment comes in lower, staff get shuffled mid-year to match the budget, Principal Dr. Todd told The Speculator.
Ms. Haviland had started as a long-term substitute before English department chair White recruited her full-time. She was reassigned to Northwestern Middle School, the school her child is zoned for. Under the school's staffing rules, the most recently hired teacher is the first to go.
The move rippled across student schedules. Senior Sean Park said his off-campus periods shifted from the bookends of his day to the middle, forcing him to stay on campus during hours he previously spent off-site. He was not alone. Teachers also absorbed new rosters of students they had not met.
Chattahoochee was not the only school affected. Taylor Road Middle School, a Chattahoochee feeder, also lost staff, including Assistant Band Director Shrote.
The staffing cuts fit a broader pattern across Fulton County Schools. A district board bulletin published in November 2025 projected a $93 million to $95 million deficit for fiscal year 2027, driven partly by declining enrollment. The district said at the time it expected to cut at least 100 school-based positions and 40 district-level positions for the 2026–2027 school year, including adjustments to counselor staffing formulas.
No upcoming board meeting or comment period specific to Chattahoochee's staffing situation has been announced.
