What North Atlanta Should Know Today: November 2, 2026

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Election Day arrives Tuesday, school-boundary decisions are nearing, and construction will affect several major routes. Here are North Atlanta’s 10 most consequential stories today.

1. Election Day brings local tax, transportation and school questions

Georgia polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters who are in line by 7 p.m. may remain and vote. Assigned precincts and sample ballots are available through the Georgia Secretary of State’s election page.

Absentee ballots must reach the county elections office by 7 p.m. Tuesday; a postmark is not enough. Voters who requested a ballot but have not returned it may still vote in person after election workers cancel the absentee ballot.

Several local questions carry long-term consequences. Sandy Springs voters will decide whether to continue the existing 0.75% transportation sales tax and whether the city may consider redevelopment financing tools in the future. DeKalb voters will consider a five-year renewal of the 1% education sales tax, projected to raise as much as $946.8 million for school construction, renovations, technology, buses and other capital work.

Gwinnett voters assigned to Precinct 059 should note an emergency location change. The Election Day polling place locator provides the current location.

2. Cherokee High plot investigation brings new security review

Three people remain accused of conspiring to attack Cherokee High School in Canton after an FBI alert about threatening social-media posts led to arrests. Warrants describe plans for weapons, protective equipment and an Aug. 20, 2027, attack date.

Police and the school district say there is no known continuing threat to Cherokee High or another Cherokee County school. The district also clarified that the accused had publicly available images of the campus, not protected school floor plans.

The Cherokee County school board has reviewed district security procedures and directed administrators to work with law enforcement on possible improvements and resources to expand the school police department. The district’s parent notices carry its account of the investigation and security response.

3. North DeKalb school-boundary options reach public-comment stage

Families in the Chamblee, Cross Keys and Dunwoody clusters will get their next in-person opportunity Thursday to respond to possible attendance-zone changes intended to relieve overcrowding.

The DeKalb Student Assignment Project is considering several options, including whether to convert an elementary school into a middle school serving the Cross Keys area. No boundary change or school conversion has been approved.

The public session runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Dunwoody High School. An online survey remains open through 11:59 p.m. Nov. 10. Any approved changes would take effect no sooner than fall 2027.

4. Fulton prepares draft maps for North Fulton schools

Fulton County Schools will present draft attendance-zone maps this month for eight elementary and middle schools north of the Chattahoochee River.

The elementary-school forum is scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at Roswell High School. It covers Esther Jackson, Hembree Springs, Mimosa and Vickery Mill elementary schools.

A middle-school forum will follow from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Centennial High School, covering Autrey Mill, Elkins Pointe, Haynes Bridge and Holcomb Bridge middle schools.

The district’s redistricting page emphasizes that no boundary change, consolidation or closure has been approved. Revised maps are expected at December forums before any recommendation reaches the school board.

5. Georgia 400 work shifts into another week of lane closures

Express-lane construction will bring daytime and overnight restrictions to Georgia 400 and several cross streets through Sunday, weather permitting.

Southbound Georgia 400 between Riverside Road and Abernathy Road is scheduled for double-lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly. A southbound lane between Haynes Bridge Road and Northridge Drive may close from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Northbound work is planned between Abernathy Road and Spalding Drive from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The weekly construction advisory also identifies work on Mansell Road, Holcomb Bridge Road and Spalding Drive. Schedules can change, so drivers should check 511 before late-night or early-morning trips.

In downtown Lawrenceville, North Perry Street at West Crogan Street is scheduled for a temporary lane closure beginning at 10 a.m. today. The city expects delays for up to two hours while crews investigate a utility conflict.

6. Sandy Springs tax hearings fall on Election Day

Sandy Springs will hold its final two public hearings Tuesday before setting the city’s 2026 property-tax rate.

The hearings begin at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. at City Hall. The proposed 4.731-mill operating rate is above the state-calculated rollback rate, triggering Georgia’s required tax-increase hearing process even though the city’s nominal rate has not increased.

The council is scheduled to consider the final rate after the evening hearing. The city’s tax notice and five-year levy history explain how reassessments and the rollback calculation affect the total levy.

7. Brookhaven weighs broader workforce-housing requirements

A Brookhaven proposal would require every new residential development with at least 10 homes to reserve 10% of its units for households earning no more than 60% of the metro area median income. The restriction would remain in place for at least 20 years.

Projects along Buford Highway would face a higher requirement, generally 15% to 20%, depending on the income levels served. The draft also offers development incentives for projects that provide more below-market homes.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 2665 Buford Highway. Its vote will be a recommendation, not final approval. The proposed workforce-housing rules would apply to new developments rather than existing rents.

8. Dunwoody replaces planned High Street apartments with commercial space

Dunwoody has approved a major change to Block 6 of the High Street development near the Dunwoody MARTA station.

A planned seven-story apartment building will be replaced by as many as five retail, restaurant and office buildings surrounding a plaza of at least 6,000 square feet. The block may contain up to 140,000 square feet of commercial space, including no more than 60,000 square feet of offices.

The 6-0 council vote also requires a wider sidewalk along Perimeter Center Parkway and sets conditions for a multiuse path. The approved zoning change does not establish a construction date, and building designs may still change within the city’s conditions.

9. Roswell reaches first deadline for former school redevelopment

Development teams have until 3 p.m. today to make preliminary submissions for the former Independence High School property at 791 Mimosa Boulevard.

Roswell is seeking a mixed-use future for the 5.4-acre site near downtown. The former school and adjacent teaching museum are candidates for preservation and adaptive reuse, while pedestrian connections and public gathering spaces are among the city’s stated priorities.

Full proposals are due Jan. 15, 2027. No developer, site plan or combination of uses has been approved. The first-round deadline begins the selection process rather than determining the property’s final design.

10. Mild start to the week before rain and thunderstorms

North Atlanta begins the week without weather warnings. Partly sunny skies, easterly wind and highs generally in the lower to middle 70s are expected today, followed by another mild day Tuesday.

Rain chances rise Wednesday, with showers and thunderstorms possible into Wednesday night and early Thursday. The National Weather Service Atlanta office has the latest forecast and alerts as conditions change.