With an outstanding 11 stories, North Atlanta seems to have enough room for an endless inflow of students. However, this concept is certainly being tested as student enrollment drastically increases. The 2022-2023 school year is seeing a higher enrollment level than ever before, and this change is noticeable to students and teachers alike. While the growing population is beneficial for the advancement and diversity of the school, it has also resulted in overcrowded stairwells, elevators, hallways, and classrooms that are certainly not desirable for the Dubs.

North Atlanta is the largest in the Atlanta Public Schools district, a significant accomplishment since there are over 100 schools within APS. The school has a record enrollment of over 2,000 students – with an influx of private school transfers and larger incoming freshman classes each year, questions are rising about when the school will reach its max. 

Squeezing through packed crowds and cramming into elevators has become a regular part of North Atlanta students’ days. While almost everyone has adjusted by now, this compact situation is not enjoyable. This year’s graduating class can vouch for the rise in student numbers over the years, having observed the hallways getting increasingly more congested. Senior Liza Fagin does not favor the difficulty of getting to class promptly. “You wouldn’t expect it to be so crowded here,” she said. “What would normally be a two-minute walk takes ten minutes because of all the people. I constantly wind up late to my classes.” 

While the population is deemed undesirable by some, the diversity and advancement that comes with a larger student body brings positive changes to the building. Many students are fans of the size of the school, especially those who are new and coming from much smaller school environments. One of these students is junior Alexandra Kazamias, who came to North Atlanta after attending a small private school. “I went from 12 kids in my classes to over 30,” she said, “while it definitely can get crowded, I love being surrounded by so many people. It’s a nice change.” 

So, good luck to the students (all 2,000+ of you) who are navigating hallway traffic and cramming into elevators daily. It can seemingly be a dreadful situation, but on the bright side, growth is generally beneficial, and NAHS is developing and diversifying as the years go on. The bigger, the better… right?