With the start of the new school year, students in Fulton County will be coming back after summer break to a number of new construction and renovation projects.
Construction and maintenance crews are putting the finishing touches on more than 23 school renovation projects throughout the county, and one new elementary school is preparing to open.
In addition, playgrounds were replaced at 37 elementary schools and new lighting was installed in five high school gyms. Fulton schools are scheduled to start Aug. 11. The projects are funded through eSPLOST, the one-penny sales tax approved by the taxpayers of Fulton County.
In South Fulton, Mount Olive Elementary School has been temporarily relocated to College Park while a replacement facility is built on its current site. Next August, when construction is complete, the school will move back to its former location.
Also new, Chattahoochee Hills Charter School will open at 9670 Rivertown Road in Fairburn to students in kindergarten through fifth grade during its first year. As students advance, another grade will be added to the school until it reaches its capacity of 450 students in grades K-8.
The school will feature a curricular focus on the environment and the arts as foundational platforms for learning. As a public charter school, there is no tuition or entrance exam, but enrollment is by application and students must reside in Fulton County. The lower grades are filled and have established wait lists; however, limited seats are open in the fifth grade. A grand opening celebration is planned for Aug. 27.
The Fulton County school system continues to be the fourth-largest district in Georgia with a projected 2014-2015 enrollment of approximately 96,300 students – an expected increase of about 1,200 students from the previous school year. The system includes 101 schools – 58 elementary schools, 19 middle schools, 17 high schools and seven startup charter schools.
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