Decatur’s brand new Talley Street Upper Elementary [grades 3-5] School is set to welcome students Thursday after a lightning-like construction schedule lasting about 14 months since on-site demolition of began.
Thursday is also the first day of City Schools of Decatur dividing into five K-2 lower elementary schools and upper elementary buildings at Fifth Avenue and Talley.
Talley Street is Decatur’s first new school built on a new site since Renfroe Middle opened in the early 1970s. It’s about 87,000 square feet and includes two two-story classroom wings facing Talley, and a courtyard between the west wing and the gymnasium/cafeteria on the campus’ south side.
As of early this week 751 students are enrolled, with the total CSD K-12 enrollment standing at 5,693.
“We have some punch-list things left to do, but the school is looking really great,” said Superintendent David Dude. “Lots of big windows, a lot of open space and lots of bright colors. I’m very excited.”
Talley Street is the last project included in the $75 million general obligation bond voters passed in Nov. 2015 just one day after Dude became superintendent.
The biggest challenge early on is traffic. Any car entering campus can only turn onto Talley Street from Columbia Drive and turn right into the school. Also, cars can only exit campus by turning right onto Talley and an immediate left onto Sams Street. No car will be allowed to turn left into the campus or left out of the campus onto Talley Street. The same pattern gets employed for both dropoff and pickup.
Other features include a 40,000 square-foot playfield, roughly the size of a soccer field, a smaller playground, and areas for future permanent classroom expansion and modular classrooms if needed. For now, about 55 percent of the 6.38-acre site is green space.
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