Committee makes its recommendation for Howard Warner's use
By ALEX McRAEalex@newnan.com
The volunteer citizen committee charged with making recommendations for the future use of the Howard Warner School on Savannah Street in Newnan voted Thursday to recommend that the Newnan City Council adopt a project for the school developed by a group that would develop the property as the RAKoo School of Creative Learning & Artistic Expression.
Prior to the unanimous vote by committee members, RAKoo president Shellie Hardee did a brief recap of a presentation made to the committee earlier this year and answered questions from committee members.
As proposed uses for the school were sought and studied in recent months, committee members kept potential funding for each project a priority. Once all proposals were heard the committee invited Hardee back to make a final presentation before recommending action to the city.
Hardee said she and her supporters had been busy developing their program and meeting with others who had done similar projects. She presented the committee with a list of potential funding sources for the school.
Hardee said she had cost estimates for operating the school but could not seek grant funding for renovation and improvements until she had a commitment for use of the facility. She said her classes would occupy the entire main floor of the older of the two buildings.
At the end of Hardee’s presentation the committee voted to recommend to the Newnan City Council that Hardee be given at least six months to work up a proposal for renovation and use of the facility.
Before the Coweta County and City of Newnan schools were integrated, the Howard Warner School — built in 1935 — served as the city of Newnan’s African-American high school. It officially closed in 1969 and was used in the 1970s as the central administrative office for the Coweta County Board of Education.
When the school board moved its administrative offices to the current Jackson Street location, the Howard Warner building became the board’s curriculum office.
After the school board moved all remaining curriculum offices from Howard Warner to its present location on Werz Industrial Boulevard, the school board donated the facility to the city of Newnan.
