Cobb County school board members have voted to put $5 million into rebuilding Harmony-Leland Elementary following criticism from parents that the school is too old and neglected.
At the board’s meeting on Wednesday, members said the money could be used to build a new school or to renovate the current structure, considered among the oldest schools in the county, according to Cobb schools spokesman Jay Dillon.
The money could also be used to rebuild or renovate nearby Clay Elementary. Another option includes tearing down the two schools and building a new one that accommodates both, Dillon said.
“None of that’s decided at this time,” Dillon said. “They’re going to look at the options there. That will be something a future board of education will decide.”
Both Brumby Elementary and Mountain View Elementary are slated to be rebuilt, though Harmony-Leland parents argued their school – built in 1951 – needed attention too.
Last week, the school system closed on a deal to buy 35 acres for $9.3 million off Terrell Mill Road, where school members have considered building the new Brumby location, Dillon said. Residents in the area have raised concerns about an increase in traffic if the district were to build two schools on the 35-acre site.
“At this time, the only decision that’s been made is to purchase that property,” Dillon said. “And of course, they’ve (board members) also decided to rebuild Brumby, with the likely scenario that’s going to be the location for the Brumby rebuild. But that’s the only determination at this time.”
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