The DeKalb County Board of Education approved an architect and engineering firm to begin planning major renovations at Druid Hills High, bringing the school one step closer to the promised upgrades.
Poor conditions at the school drew the attention of state officials in 2022, after students made a video publicizing plumbing and electrical problems at the aging campus. The Georgia Department of Education stepped in after the school board moved to push back plans to complete the sweeping upgrades at the school. The district was then required to complete a list of immediate updates and solidify plans to complete more serious upgrades at the school.
The school board allocated $50 million in sales tax revenue to renovations at Druid Hills High. The architectural and engineering services will cost $350,000.
MSSA-PBK, a Griffin-based architect, will do three things: complete a modernization report, which identifies what will be necessary to update the existing school facilities; complete a site utilization study, which will recommend modifications to ensure the most efficient use of the land at the campus; and create conceptual design options, which could include the addition or removal of buildings.
The conceptual designs will be due in spring 2024, according to the scope of work for the architect. The full design of the project will come later. The district will use those documents to develop a scope of work and maximum guaranteed price for the project.
The tentative completion date for the renovations is fall 2027, Chief Operations Officer Erick Hofstetter said at a board meeting Monday. The plan is to keep the school’s capacity the same at about 1,400 students, he said.
The controversy over Druid Hills High spotlighted facilities maintenance concerns districtwide. It coincided with the firing of Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris after she was on the job for less than two years. School board members never confirmed exactly why she was fired, but at times mentioned the condition of the district’s facilities as part of their concerns.
School maintenance was one of the top priorities for interim Superintendent Vasanne Tinsley. In line with state directives, the district changed how it approached work orders and began to screen schools for problems more proactively. When school began last week, said Hofstetter, maintenance staff visited each school in the first couple of days in case any needs arose.
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