Fulton County (Ga.) district will build new high school in Sandy Springs instead of renovating

The Fulton County (Ga.) district plans to build a new North Springs Charter High School instead of renovating the 55-year-old school in Sandy Springs. 

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the district had been planning a $19 million addition and renovation of the 1963 building, but community members had pushed for a new facility.

A group, Citizens for a New North Springs, says the existing school building is “outdated and undersized” and “not suitable for 21st-century education.” 

School district spokeswoman Susan Hale says the decision to build new instead of renovating was made because it is in the district’s financial interest. 

Fulton County administrators have not announced a timeline or budget for constructing a new building. 

In the meantime, the district plans to spend some of the money that had been earmarked for renovation and use it for safety improvements and general maintenance at the school. 

The proposed new building would be smaller than the existing one. North Springs had 1,591 students enrolled as of last fall.