Fulton County Schools superintendent announced a plan Tuesday to build a new North Springs Charter High School instead of renovating the 55-year-old school in Sandy Springs.
The district previously planned a $19 million addition and renovation of the 1963 building to be paid for with funds from the special purpose local option sales tax approved by voters in 2016.
A citizens group has pushed for a new school instead of a renovation. Citizens for a New North Springs describes the building on the group's website as "outdated and undersized" and says it's "not suitable for 21st century education."
VIDEO: Previous coverage of Fulton schools
School district spokeswoman Susan Hale said the decision to build new instead of renovating was made because it is in the district’s financial interest.
A timeline or budget for construction has not been announced. The current SPLOST funding does not include a new school building and cannot be used for new construction, Hale said.
In the meantime, the district plans to spend some of the renovation money on safety improvements and general maintenance at the school.
The proposed new building would be smaller than the current one. North Springs enrolled 1,591 students last fall.
In 2017, the Sandy Springs City Council approved a resolution supporting a new school.
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