The Fayette County Board of

Education has some extra money and is going to spend it by expanding one

high school and building an auditorium at another.

Because the last several construction

projects, including the new elementary schools and the bid for Whitewater

High School, came in under budget, there is some available funding to

work on some necessary construction projects. In addition to the projects

that came in under budget, the school system will get state grant money

when the construction of Whitewater High School south of Fayetteville

begins.

The first priority is to expand

the core facility at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City to accommodate

a projected student body of 1,800 students. The cafeteria will need to

be expanded and the kitchen will need to be renovated. The school will

also require an expanded band room, an expanded physical education facility

and an expanded fine arts facility.

Assistant superintendent Stuart

Bennett said that McIntosh is expected to have 1,520 students on the first

day of school this year. Superintendent John DeCotis said that the expansion

of the core facility is important because they must meet state standards.

The board voted unanimously to create a timeline for the expansion and

renovation plans.

The second priority is to build

a fine arts performance facility/auditorium at Sandy Creek High School

north of Tyrone. Parents and staff of Sandy Creek had already begun raising

funds and starting plans for Patriot Hall.

"This should have been

done when the school was built," said Chairman Mickey Littlefield.

"We're going to right that wrong. We're not signing contracts just

yet, but the time has come and we are close to it."

Spangler-Manley-Smith will

be the architects for the auditorium at Sandy Creek High School. They

designed the auditorium which will be going in at Whitewater High School.

The auditorium at Sandy Creek will be able to accommodate 650-700 people.

The board will vote on the architects for the McIntosh expansion at the

next meeting, which will be Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.

Back

to News Home Page |