Canton land purchased for potential new high school

Aerial photo depicts an 88-acre parcel being acquired by the Cherokee County School District, next to Teasley Middle School in the Riverstone area of Canton, for a possible new Cherokee High School.

Credit: Cherokee County School District

Credit: Cherokee County School District

Aerial photo depicts an 88-acre parcel being acquired by the Cherokee County School District, next to Teasley Middle School in the Riverstone area of Canton, for a possible new Cherokee High School.

The Cherokee County School Board has agreed to pay about $7.7 million for 88 acres in Canton for possibly a new Cherokee High School.

The land, north of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and next to Teasley Middle School in the Riverstone area of Canton, will be paid for with current Ed SPLOST funds, district officials said. The seller is Bright-Sasser Canton LLC.

Construction of a new school would be up to the School Board and voter approval in November to renew the 1% Ed SPLOST to pay for it, officials said. The school could cost $90 million to $100 million, take three years to build, and open as soon as 2025.

The present Cherokee High on Marietta Highway saw its enrollment jump by more than 25% over the past decade, and it had to expand into the former Canton Elementary School. That building could be returned to use as an elementary school if the new high school is built, officials said. Information: https://bit.ly/2LrR4F8