Decatur’s school board has approved purchasing half an acre on South Columbia Drive, contiguous to the six acres on Talley St./South Columbia that City Schools Decatur bought last July.
Cost will not exceed $450,000 and closing should be within 45 days or no later than Dec. 21.
Superintendent David Dude said there are still no definitive plans for the property. That will be determined by a facilities committee — comprised of teachers, administrators and assorted stakeholders — which meets for the second time next week.
But Dude believes the property could hold a facility of 400 to 500 students, although whether that’s an elementary school, or 4/5 Academy, or some combination remains to be seen.
Further, CSD has recently spoken with Columbia Ventures, which is developing the College Avenue MARTA parking lot. Talks remain in the “preliminary stages,” Dude said, about adding a new Early Childhood Learning Center to that project.
The superintendent said he hopes the committee will give the school board a recommendation for Talley/South Columbia by December.
“We need to start designing (a facility) by January,” Dude said. “If we can do that, we can open by the 2018-19 school year.”
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