Atlanta Public Schools to spend $27 million renovating three schools

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The Atlanta school board approved $27.7 million worth of renovations for two elementary schools and a new college and career academy.

The board this week authorized construction contracts for the three projects, to be paid for using money from a one-cent sales tax.

The work includes a $9.65 million renovation of Humphries Elementary School in southeast Atlanta and a $7.68 million renovation of Hutchinson Elementary School on Cleveland Avenue on the city’s southwest side.

The construction work is expected to take about a year, with the schools reopening in fall 2020.

Students who attend Hutchinson will relocate for the 2019-2020 school year to the former Bethune Elementary School building on Northside Drive.

Hutchinson Elementary School in Atlanta will receive a $7.68 million renovation, one of three school projects recently approved by the Atlanta school board. AJC file photo by BOB ANDRES / BANDRES@AJC.COM

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The Hutchinson renovation includes building a new secured entry area; creating a science, technology, engineering and math lab in the former auditorium and installing a new elevator, roofing and flooring. The administration area will be renovated, as will the parking lot.

Humphries students will relocate to the Campbell building, 21 Thirkeld Ave.

There will be a partial demolition and reconstruction of a new classroom building at Humphries. The school also will receive security upgrades, a new lab, a new media center in the former auditorium, a renovated administration area and other improvements.

The district also will begin a $10.4 million renovation of the Parks Middle School building to house the new Atlanta College and Career Academy.

The academy, scheduled to open in fall 2020, will provide training to high school students in medical, construction, culinary arts and automotive fields, among others.

The academy will serve about 800 students, who will attend courses there in the morning or afternoon in addition to taking classes at their home high school.

The one-cent tax or special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST) was approved by voters in 2016.