New Building In The Works For North Springs High School

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Fulton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff Rose is recommending that the school board follow the path of building a new building for North Springs Charter High School as part of the system's next capital program.

The recommendation, originally outlined at the school board's June 12 work session, varies from the original plan to drastically renovate the facility. School board members at the June 21 meeting took the first step in going in this new direction with its approval of an updated capital execution and cash flow plan.

Cash flows were adjusted for the North Springs project so that renovations slated to be completed in 2021 — under the FCS Capital Plan 2022 — would focus on high priority and safety requirements. Any funds remaining in the project will be held until the next capital plan is passed by the board and a funding source that would align with anticipated enrollment for North Springs.

General maintenance will continue to be funded so that the school is kept in good condition while awaiting approval of the next capital funding cycle, said FCS spokesperson Susan Hale.

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Dr. Rose said that district staff and architects have been working for many months to evaluate design and construction solutions.

"As is our process, we looked at the costs to renovate and compared it with the costs to rebuild," he said. "Through our analysis, we believe a comprehensive neighborhood high school, aligned to North Springs' anticipated enrollment needs, is most beneficial for the community and in the best financial interest of our taxpayers over the long-term."

Rose went on to say that building a new facility at once, rather than tackling a series of renovations, would also be less disruptive to students and staff "compared to the many renovation projects needed over a series of years," he said.

"This recommendation is focused on the physical building of North Springs, and over time district staff will work with the school board to answer community questions as they relate to future enrollment and academic programming," he added.

Citizens for a New North Springs, a Sandy Springs-based organization that's pushed Fulton County to build a new school, said it was pleased to see FCS and board members take a "fresh look" at North Springs and choose to focus on a new facility.

"We look forward to understanding their plan, enrollment projections, and design for the facility as well as the timing for the design and construction phases," it said.

Mayor Rusty Paul also weighed in on the school system's about-face, stating he was glad to see the system listen and respond to the desires of North Springs parents and stakeholders.

"I hope this leads to implementation of the dual enrollment opportunities the state is providing for both college-bound and non-college-bound students that I and my predecessor, Eva Galambos, have urged them to adopt," he added.

Capital Plan 2022, which began its five-year term in 2017, is being funded by SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), the one-penny education sales tax that funds new school construction, additions and renovations, technology innovations and safety improvements.

Image via Citizens For a New North Springs