Georgia officials sending team to Druid Hills High after student video

The Georgia Department of Education is sending a team to Druid Hills High School in the wake of community complaints and a student video showing poor building conditions.

A facilities team is scheduling a tour of the building. They will also confer with DeKalb County School District officials about plans for the school, said Meghan Frick, department spokeswoman.

“We do not have inspectors, or statutory authority to cite or fine school districts over facilities,” Frick said in a text message.

The county’s Board of Education removed the school from a list of construction projects in February.

Students reacted by recently posting a video online that depicted water-damaged walls and ceilings, flaking paint and other deteriorating conditions at the school. One student said heavy rains created unsanitary conditions near outdoor picnic tables where students eat.

“It becomes a problem because we can smell what human waste smells like while we’re trying to eat our lunch,” he said in the video.

DeKalb Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris notified the community in an email this week that Druid Hills High was back on the board’s agenda. She said the video “showed many areas of concern throughout the building that we have long known about and worked to address in meaningful ways.”