Preliminary

work has started on Union City's newest middle school.

Dodson Road

Middle School will open at the intersection of Dodson Road and High

Point Road in August 2002.

Fulton County

School System's Marcus Ray, who oversees many of the system's new capital

projects, said a construction management firm has been secured and bids

will be taken on the project in either March or April.

The school

will house 800 students and be built in the courtyard style that is

indicative of the newer schools.

Dodson Road

will take students from the Evoline West Elementary School in Fairburn,

Campbell Elementary in Fairburn, Seaborn Lee in College Park and Palmetto

Elementary.

Ray said

the system is constantly studying growth patterns in Fulton County and

said the future could be impressive for South Fulton.

"There's

a lot of potential growth in that area. There's a lot of large developments

that could impact our planning and school construction," he said.