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Criminal Justice Department to move into former Alma J. Brown Elementary building

The former Lincoln Prep Elementary School will house the criminal justice department.

The former Lincoln Preparatory Elementary School building, originally known as the Alma J. Brown Elementary School, will be the new academic center for the Department of Criminal Justice.
Criminal justice is the most popular major for students at GSU.
According to Provost Dr. Ellen Smiley, the university is working with capital outlay. The project to provide the Department of Criminal Justice in its own building will be state funded.
Once funds become available the project should be underway.
“Right now it’s very hard to determine when it will be approved,” Smiley said. “There are other projects waiting to be approved on campus right now.”  
Once the project is funded, renovation of the building is expected to take a year.
Roderick Atkinson, a junior criminal justice major from Los Angeles, said he thinks the move will be “beneficial” for the department.
“I actually think having a permanent building would be very helpful,” Atkinson said. “Having to walk around campus just to find your advisor or any advisor at that is very difficult. Not too many people know where certain buildings are let alone freshman. We are one of the larger majors on campus so having a specified building would be helpful.”
Senior Matthew Lee, 22, a criminal justice major, is ambivalent about the move.
 “I love the criminal justice department overall,” Lee said. “some great professors. I know I’m definitely prepared for my work in the criminal justice law & politics field. However, I’m not sure if it will be beneficial or not. The move will be a interesting change for the department.”
Lincoln Prep. elementary students who attended have been housed in the Lincoln Prep High School building the past few years.  
Lincoln Preparatory School is a charter school that took the location of Grambling High School.
The decision for the elementary students to move the high school location was strictly an administrative decision, according to school authorities.
The school administration said they felt it would be better for the elementary, middle and high school students to all be under one roof.
Lincoln Prep. Executive Director Gordon said the decision “just made more sense.”
“There are many benefits of having all of the students under one roof,” Gordon said.
“At Lincoln Prep. middle school kids at the age of 11 don’t need to mix with college students.”
The school received a letter grade F for its first year as a charter in 2016.
Despite the poor rating, according to Gordon the school will not be closing.
“We are getting our new grade in November,” Gordon said. “I can assure you it will be significantly better than our previous grade. I expect our grade will be at least two letter grades higher.”
The Lincoln Prep School is housed in an aging building.
The school was initially built in 1955. In 1982 the elementary students were moved to Alma J. Brown Elementary School.