Future School Sites
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| Planning for Student Enrollment Growth Gwinnett school system leaders, facing continued enrollment growth, have developed the next five-year classroom building program. Based on conservative enrollment projections, the system estimates it will need to build more than two dozen new schools and additions at existing schools between 2007 and 2012. Funding for this building program will come from the extension of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) for schools, an item approved by voters on November 2006, a General Obligation Bond Referendum approved by voters in February 2008, and State Capital Outlay. The Gwinnett County Board of Education began to purchase land for the needed schools in 2004, following a process that has been in place for over 30 years. It is a process that has been deemed both legal and economically wise, and has served Gwinnett citizens well by ensuring efficiency in terms of time and money. The Process for Acquiring Future School Sites When a new school is needed, staff brings to the Board of Education at least three sites in the general area that would appear to meet the need. The Board authorizes staff to do due diligence in determining the suitability of each site based on topography as well as safety standards established by the state. Staff is further authorized to purchase the most appropriate site at a cost within the parameters set through appraisals received from two independent MAI-designated companies. The MAI designation indicates the appraisers are experienced in the valuation of commercial, industrial, residential, and other types of properties. As with all land purchased in the county, the location and purchase price of the future school site becomes a matter of public record once the purchase is complete. The public is notified that a site has been purchased for a future school through signs erected on the property. The information also is posted and updated on the school system’s Web site. Information on these acquisitions is available in the attachments below. Updates to this list will be provided as land is acquired. GCPS Property Acquisitions (September 2014) (pdf) GCPS Property Acquisitions (September 2014) Map (pdf) |