Druid Hills High School, one of the oldest schools in DeKalb County, has long been slated for renovations. But rising construction costs and challenges to building at the site mean the district has to pump the brakes on the long-awaited upgrades at the school.
“It is not good news,” board member Whitney McGinniss summarized at a recent school board meeting.
It’s the latest in a long line of obstacles to the planned renovations at the school. The school board in 2022 decided it didn’t want to modernize the school, prompting swift backlash from the community. Students published a video showcasing water damage, plumbing issues and other maintenance problems. It caught the attention of state officials, who threatened to withhold funding if the district didn’t modernize the school. The DeKalb school board eventually committed to making the necessary renovations. The school board set aside $50 million for the project with funds from a sales tax approved by voters to build new schools or update old ones.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
But as architects began delving into what it would require, they found a difficult site to work on thanks in part to elevation changes, limited access and size constraints. The bottom line: There’s not enough money to finish the Druid Hills High project during this sales tax cycle. The district has to hope that voters will renew the sales tax again in 2027.
In the meantime, district officials have been evaluating what to do about the project that it cannot currently afford. By the time the additional funding comes around, it may not meet the needs of the students in the area thanks to enrollment changes.
They’ve laid out three paths forward:
First, the district could proceed with the modernization as planned. That was originally expected to cost $50 million, but is now projected to cost between $80-100 million. Modernization would bring the current building up to contemporary standards, but would not change any physical spaces, like adding classrooms. This plan includes the demolition and rebuilding of the gymnasium and cafeteria.
Second, the district could modernize the building and add 15 extra classrooms. That would cost up to $125 million. Enrollment at the school is trending upward. Additions would be made to accommodate 1,600 students, compared to the current enrollment of 1,450. Increasing the school’s capacity would affect the required size of common spaces like the gym and cafeteria.
And third, the district could relocate Druid Hills High to another site that’s larger and better suited to the needs of a modern high school. Relocating could mean purchasing property and building a new school from scratch, or swapping locations with an existing DeKalb school. The Druid Hills High facility would need to be modernized either way, as the district intends to continue using it for instructional use. This would be the most costly option at up to $200 million, depending on the site.
“We have not landed on a decision,” Superintendent Devon Horton said at a community meeting. “We are really taking every single piece of feedback.”
School district leaders have not identified the next steps for deciding what to do at Druid Hills. The next board meeting is Dec. 9.
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