Kids Before Tower at PRHS
How can you help?
- Share the Petition with at least 5 people. Help us reach 1,000 signatures!
- Show up wearing RED on Tuesday 4/14 @10am for our press briefing (location TBA)
- Sign up to speak at the board meeting by Wednesday, April 15th, 7:00PM. Request HERE and email us at info@kidsbeforetoweratprhs.org. We can help you prepare your speech.
- Show up wearing RED to the board meeting.
WHEN: April 16, Thursday at 7pm
WHERE: Board Room at the Instructional Support Center, located at 437 Old Peachtree Rd NW, Suwanee, GA 30024
(Click the address to open Google Map)
Click Here to Save the Date on your Calendar! - CALL & EMAIL the Board Members. Personal messages make a powerful impact. A quick call or email can influence important decisions.
Welcome to the Kids Before Towers/NO Cell Towers at GCPS Schools Community!
We are a group of parents, students, and community members that are opposed to GCPS’ plans to lease school property behind Parsons Elementary School and Peachtree Ridge High School (PRHS) for a cell phone tower.
Thanks to the quick action of several mothers, the petition to oppose installing the cell tower on school property was launched on 1/16/2026 and within 5 weeks, had garnered nearly 200 signatures. As a result, GCPS agreed to set up a community town hall on 2/26/26, where over 50 community members attended to hear what Peter Corry, the CEO of Municipal Communications (MC) had to say about the purpose of installing a cell phone tower on school property. The responses we received that evening were inadequate: we were offered little to no mathematical and scientific data to back the claims that were made.
WE OPPOSE INSTALLATION OF THE CELL TOWER ON SCHOOL PROPERTY:
1. Health Risks: Because there is no firmly established agreement from the scientific and medical community that can conclusively state that there are NO health risks associated with sustained exposure to radiation from cell towers, we oppose the installation of the tower on school property.
Children in the PRHS cluster will spend anywhere from 4 to 11 years being exposed to high amounts of radiation. Our children’s health, whose bodies and brains are still developing, and our educators—many of whom are pregnant or of child-bearing age—should not be subject to experimentation. See what scientific, peer-reviewed journals have to say HERE and NPR’s reporting on this issue HERE.
2. Misuse of School Property: There is no educational or instructional purpose in setting up the tower on school property. Although MC states that the location belonging to PRHS is the exact spot required to have full cell phone coverage, MC has not produced any documents showing research on other sites nearby (away from school property) to prove that PRHS is the best and only option. Without a clear purpose, this tower can and should be placed in a different area, further away from students and educators.
3. Decline in Property Values, School Funding: When cell phone towers are near residential areas (and even worse, on school property), property values decline. As a result, property taxes will decline and school funding will also decline. Enrollment numbers could drastically decline, (and with that, per pupil funding at the state and federal level) as many Korean DLI parents (Dual Language Immersion program) do not live in the school zone can simply take their children to another public school, or enroll them in the Korean DLI program at YHALE charter school. The loss in property taxes, state, and federal funding is greater than the gain in compensation for leasing the land. See what the National Association of Realtors and National Business Post have to say HERE and HERE.
4. Lack of Transparency
In December 2025, without advance and widely distributed notice to the GCPS community, the school board voted to move forward with signing a contract with MC. Due to pushback by the group of mothers, GCPS has not yet signed the contract. GCPS will receive financial compensation for leasing the land, the exact number is not stated in the lease. Based on a review of other similar leases in other school districts, the compensation would be minimal, barely equal to the annual salary of one educator. Per Peter Corry, MC will receive a combined 3 million dollars from ATT, Verizon, and Tmobile for the tower.
Despite very little notice (again) to PRHS cluster families, a diverse group of over 50 community members, including parents with relevant engineering expertise attended the meeting. However, no GCPS board member, including Steven Gasper, (board member overseeing the area that includes PRHS) attended the meeting on 2/26/26. Instead of board members defending their decision, Municipal Communications staff (none of whom were scientists or engineers) were placed before the community to address concerns that otherwise would have required an expert in wireless technology, legal contracts and municipal codes to answer.
The community was told by Interim Chief of Operations and Facilities, Patrick Burke, that he needed “to process what he’s heard tonight,” and encouraged everyone to email him their concerns. If he decides to make a recommendation to the board, then the concern would be presented before the board. This means an interim COO has the power to move forward with signing the lease, as previously planned after the December vote, or to pull back and not sign the contract between GCPS and MC.
5. Poor Contract Terms
The current contract would release MC from liability – which means that if there are any health issues that arise after the installing of the tower, there will be no recourse for staff or students. The current contract is for 5 years, renewable for 11 terms after the first term is complete. It is possible that this cell tower will be in place for 60 years. Per the agreement:
- GCPS does not have the right to terminate the contract except in the case of nonpayment of rent.
- Municipal Communications is the only party able to terminate the contract at any time.
- GCPS cannot decline renewal of the contract. Only the cell tower company has that right.
Read the lease HERE.
OUR DEMANDS
- The tower should NOT be built on ANY school property, and that it be placed in a different location. There are many examples of cities and states who have passed ordinances or resolutions regarding cell towers on school property. In 2011, community members in DeKalb County faced a similar situation. The result of the lawsuit is that no cell towers can be built on any DeKalb County school property.
- Transparency and advance communication must be a part of GCPS’ practice when it comes to any kind of decision that can potentially impact the health of GCPS staff and students. Quietly voting on this decision at a board meeting a few days before the winter holidays does nothing to build trust between GCPS and its stakeholders.
For questions or concerns, please send us emails at