Following the Dutchtown High Addition, These Schools Are Next.

Henry County Schools is putting the finishing touches on the Dutchtown High School classroom addition this spring, but several other projects are soon to follow. Take a look which schools are next.

Voters approved the education SPLOST VI program in March 2021. Altogether, the five-year program has nine projects to add classroom capacity within Henry County Schools.

Dutchtown High Addition

Henry County Schools approved the Dutchtown High addition in October 2021. The project added sixteen new classrooms at a cost of $6.5 million. The district recently received the certificate of occupancy for the new classrooms. Punch list work will conclude this spring.

The new addition adds space for about five-hundred students. The classrooms will be put to use beginning in August with the next school year. As of October 2022, DHS had 1,861 students — the largest school within the county.

Other E-SPLOST VI Projects

In addition to new classrooms, education SPLOST VI has several other projects. Here is a brief mention of three projects on the immediate horizon. Each project will be taking construction bids this spring. The school board will then consider awarding a contract.

• New Digital Message Boards at All Schools – consider bid award this month,
• Admin Building Expansion – bids due in April, consider award in May, and
• New Bus Garage and Maintenance Facility behind Oakland Elementary – bids due in May, consider award in June.

Next Classroom Additions

The district’s newest elementary school is under construction now. The school is located on Willow Lane. Birch Creek Elementary will open starting with the 2024–25 school year. A second new elementary school is planned in a few years in Locust Grove.

Next, design work begins this month on the future STEM High School. The new high school will provide students with advanced options in science, mathematics and healthcare when it opens in fall 2025. HCS previously approved the site of Patrick Henry High School in downtown Stockbridge to build the facility.

Finally, E-SPLOST VI includes six classroom additions. All are located at either middle or high schools. Each classroom addition is about a two-year process from start to finish.

Dutchtown High School was the first project; Ola Middle School will be next. Design work for Ola Middle begins this fall. Then, the Dutchtown Middle School addition begins design in spring 2024.

The three remaining projects to follow are Ola High School, Locust Grove High School and Union Grove Middle School, in that order. The last project will be complete by 2028.

For more information about all education SPLOST VI projects, visit the district website here.

Featured image shows the Dutchtown High School classroom addition under construction in November 2022. Swofford Construction photo.