County school district officials cut the ribbon April 20 on a 26,493-square-foot addition to Dutchtown High School that will open to students for the 2023-2024 school year.
The recently completed E-SPLOST project adds 14 regular classrooms, two science classrooms, science prep and storage rooms, two teacher work rooms, two administrative offices, boys’ and girls’ bathrooms, and four bookrooms to the high school.
“Henry County was recently named the fastest growing county in Georgia,” said school board chair Annette Edwards. “The Dutchtown High addition is one of nine growth projects approved by voters through E-SPLOST VI that will ensure our district is – and will continue to be – prepared to serve the increasing number of students moving into our county and schools.”
The current E-SPLOST was approved by Henry County voters in March 2021. Design on the Dutchtown High addition began in April of that year, followed by the bid date, board approval and the start of construction in the fall. The addition represents the first construction project to be started and completed as part of the current E-SPLOST program.
Sales tax-funded building projects are scheduled to continue with another five additions to existing schools set to start over the next three years at Dutchtown Middle, Locust Grove High, Ola Middle, Ola High, and Union Grove Middle. Projects will also include two new elementary schools – one on Willow Lane in McDonough and one on Wolf Creek in Locust Grove – as well as a STEM high school to be located in Stockbridge.
In total, the growth projects approved by voters in the 2021 E-SPLOST referendum will prepare the county to serve more than 5,000 additional students in Henry County Schools.
“Our vision for this addition is to serve as a newly introduced ninth-grade academy of our high school, providing additional learning and administrative space for our nearly 500 freshmen and their teachers,” said Dutchtown High Principal Nicole Shaw. “We would like to thank the Board of Education, district officials, and contractors who made this vision a reality. We are proud to continue the tradition of academic excellence and high achievement as we grow.”
