DeKalb Approves $7.5 Million for New Brookhaven School

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BROOKHAVEN, GA -- The DeKalb Board of Education has announced an agreement with Brookhaven and the Georgia State Properties Commission to acquire 11.2 acres at Skyland Park for a new elementary school.

The total purchase price to the district will be $7.5 million.

When final agreements are reached, a new 900-seat, $22 million elementary school is scheduled to be built on the site. The Brookhaven City council is scheduled to vote on the agreement at their monthly meeting on May 10, 2016. The State Properties Commission is scheduled to sign the agreement within a week. The District is expected to close on these properties with the State and the City in January 2017.

“This is a major step in our long-term plan to relieve the serious over-crowding in the Cross Keys Cluster,” said Superintendent Dr. Stephen Green. “The situation in the Cross Keys Cluster where we have more than 110 portable classrooms is intolerable and will not be allowed to continue.”

“The board has already implemented a short-term redistricting plan that will provide some relief,” said Dr. Melvin Johnson, board chair. “We are committed to providing safe, healthy learning environments for all our students.”

The new elementary school, which should be completed for the Fall of 2019, will provide relief for several existing elementary schools including Dresden, Montclair, and Woodward.

The intergovernmental agreement with the city of Brookhaven and state of Georgia will involve the district:

• Acquiring the former Skyland Elementary School site from the state, which now houses the State Vital Records Office for $2.8 million for 5.3 acres.
• Transferring 4.17 acres of the acquired state property to the city of Brookhaven.
• Purchasing the existing Skyland Park of 10.6 acres for $4.7 million from the city of Brookhaven.