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Published Thursday, July 17, 2008 in Local

Coweta planning for more schools

By Brenda Pedraza-Vidamour

The Times-Herald

To keep up with Coweta's growth trend, the Coweta County School System continually works behind the scenes to add to its land inventory for future schools.

During the past 10 years, the system has been growing consistently at about 700 students per year, the equivalent of about a new elementary or middle school each year.

To accommodate that growth, the system has been building or expanding the schools annually. In the past six years the system has either built or expanded classrooms at eight elementary schools and three middle schools and expanded the ninth grade campuses at each of its three high schools. Each renovation project added student capacity.

Most recently the school system has began construction for the new Brooks Elementary School at the corner of Jim Starr and Tommy Lee Cook roads. The $16 million Brooks Elementary opens next summer.

Depending on growth, real estate opportunities and other factors, expect the Coweta County School System to build at least two more elementary and one more middle school, according to school officials.

Also, Coweta's next high school will likely be built in the southwest portion of the county where the Coweta County Board of Education has already secured enough land for a fourth high school campus.

The board's 2006 purchase of about 173 acres near Corinth Landing off Corinth, Bohannon, Beavers and Aaron Young roads will assure the school system of enough space to build not only a high school, but also an elementary and middle school in the area.

Corinth Landing is a 439-lot development being built by Forestar Real Estate on about 847 acres. The development is across from the 3,000-acre Blalock Lakes community being built by Cousins Properties.

Superintendent Blake Bass said the next elementary school after Brooks Elementary, however, will likely be built in the same northern county section near Brooks Elementary because of the residential growth expected along Coweta's northern arc.

The Genesee and Cedar Creek Preserve, also developed by Forestar, have preliminary plats approved for subdivisions in north Coweta. Genesee is a 752-acre development of about 341 homes off Tommy Lee Cook Road, Jim Starr Road and Happy Valley Circle.

Cedar Creek Preserve is a 231-acre development of about 91 lots off Roscoe and Sewell Mill roads, near Dunaway Gardens.

Bass anticipates the system will build its next elementary school in about five years on Rex Hyde Road where the board of education has about 28.5 acres. Rex Hyde Road is southwest of the Cedar Creek Preserve development.

Another area to expect a school is in the approximate 1,500-acre McIntosh Trail Village development off McIntosh Trail north of Senoia and on the Fayette County line. About 3,000 homes will eventually be built in this development, and Reese Developers has set aside the space for that school.

"They've given us 30 acres there," Bass said.

Twelve Parks, a 451-acre development near Sharpsburg, is also being built in the area. The Pathway Communities development is located on Hwy. 54, McIntosh Trail, North and Reese Roads. It was approved for 694 lots.

Several other developments are also in the works in the east section of the county, including the Fields at Seven Pines on Highway 54 and Christopher Road, Fox Hall at Gordon and Al Roberts, and the Sanctuary at Highway 54 and Gordon Road.

Since growth is expected all over the county, the school system continually explores as many opportunities for acquiring real estate acquisition as it can. Developers' offers for free land, regardless of location, is a no-brainer for the board.

"You take it wherever you can find it," Bass said.

Like other projects, new school construction is largely funded by one-cent collections from the voter-approved Special Local Option Sales Tax for schools.

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