Galloway head of school to step down at end of academic year

Dr. James Calleroz White is stepping down as head of school at the Galloway School in Buckhead at the end of the academic year.

Calleroz White has led the private school, located in Chastain Park, since 2018. His tenure included the announcement of the school’s expansion plans that erupted into controversy this year when area residents and alumni learned those plans included the razing of the historic Gresham Building.

He is set to begin his new job as head of school at Dwight-Englewood School in New Jersey on July 1.

“Dr. Calleroz White’s vision and dedication have left an indelible mark on Galloway, and we thank him for his contributions,” said Koboi Simpson, chair of the board of trustees, in a letter posted to the school’s website.

The board has convened a search committee to hire an interim head of school for the 2025-2026 school year. The committee is also in charge of a national search for Galloway’s next head of school, with plans to have a person in place by July 2026, Simpson said.

In the letter, Simpson listed several of Calleroz White’s accomplishments as Galloway’s head of school, such as leading the 2021-2026 strategic plan and its implementation and expanding athletic facilities with the purchase and opening of new turf fields at NYO in 2024.

Simpson also praised Calleroz White for successfully initiating and planning the construction of a modern and larger Upper Learning building where the historic Gresham Building once stood.

Residents living around Chastain Park and alumni of the Galloway School tried for months to preserve the 113-year-old Gresham Building known for its four white pillars at the front entrance.

Originally built as the Fulton County Almshouse, the building was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

But in August, with no notice, the building was demolished. The demolition shocked area residents and historians because the Galloway School had not received final zoning approval for the new Upper Learning building.

Calleroz White and other school administrators said the Gresham Building needed to be razed because it was unsafe to students and staff. Buildings on the National Register are not protected from demolition.

Calleroz White also led the school’s controversial effort to gain Atlanta City Council approval to create the “Chastain Park Galloway School” special public interest district (SPI). The SPI designation grants the Galloway School special zoning regulations so it can renovate its campus facilities and construct a 60,000-foot-square-foot Upper Learning building to replace the Gresham Building.

SPI districts are typically assigned to large areas with numerous pieces of properties, such as Buckhead, Downtown and Midtown, where there is “special and substantial public interest in protection of existing or proposed character.”

An SPI also provides development guidelines on zoning issues like setbacks, architectural consistency and park space. An SPI zoning has never been approved for a private school.

Neighborhood planning groups and the city’s Zoning Review Board voted twice to deny recommending Galloway receive the SPI designation, but they are only advisory boards. Critics said they worried the legislation could be considered “spot zoning” and other private property holders would seek the same treatment.

Calleroz White’s leaving will not impact the Galloway’s capital campaign and construction of the Upper Learning building expected to break ground in 2025, according to an FAQ on the school’s website.

“While it is bittersweet to leave Galloway, I am proud of what we have accomplished together: state and regional accolades across academics, arts, and athletics, new turf fields, strong financials, successful accreditation, a near-complete strategic plan, and the construction of a new Upper Learning and administrative building on the horizon,” Calleroz White said in a letter. “These achievements are a testament to our collective commitment to excellence.”

The post Galloway head of school to step down at end of academic year appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.