Fulton County Schools is considering a plan that could close or replace Haynes Bridge and Holcomb Bridge middle schools as the district explores consolidating four schools in the area north of the Chattahoochee River into three. The district held the first of three community meetings Wednesday, Oct. 7, to explain the potential boundary changes and hear from families. No final plan has been drafted, said Chief Operations Officer Noel Maloof. “Before we go develop any final plans, any kind of drafted plans, anything specific, we want to get that input from our parents,” Maloof said. The schools under review in Geographic Region C are Autrey Mill, Elkins Pointe, Haynes Bridge and Holcomb Bridge. District officials said declining enrollment—a trend seen nationally—has prompted them to consider whether school resources are being spread across buildings that are not being fully used. Maloof said combining schools could help the district direct resources toward fully functioning campuses, but families raised concerns about what changes could mean for students’ daily lives. Chuck Bernath, a grandparent with three grandchildren approaching middle school, said longer commutes are a major worry, particularly given congestion on Holcomb Bridge Road and Georgia 400. The district’s review will consider traffic, distance between neighborhoods and schools, projected enrollment, instructional capacity, prior boundary changes, special programs and feeder-school patterns. Officials plan to use family feedback to develop a proposed attendance-zone map for the next forum. Two more middle-school community forums are planned. The district is also scheduled to hold its first session on elementary schools south of Atlanta on Oct. 13. A final plan is expected to go to the school board in January, with a vote anticipated in February.