Plans are on track for Gwinnett County schools to open 10 new buildings and four major additions when classes begin Aug. 10.
"As far as I know, we can move into them next week," school Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks said Thursday evening at the district's monthly board of education meeting.
When the doors open, the district will have 123 educational facilities, including 19 high schools, 24 middle schools and 72 elementary schools.
Nine new schools and one replacement facility, J.G. Dyer Elementary in Dacula, will be opening.
With the new buildings and renovation work at other facilities this summer, the district will have 698 additional classrooms for its nearly 160,000 students.
The buildings alone account for $237 million in construction costs funded through the district's special purpose local option sales tax.
Another nine facilities are scheduled to open next year.
Jim Steele, head of facilities and operations for the district, told board members Gwinnett receives high marks for building efficiency. He said Gwinnett's elementary school construction averages about $92.77 per square foot; the metro Atlanta average is $120.71.
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