New elementary school on Womack Road?

Dunwoody Crier, Front, 09/12/06, by Cathy Cobbs

Land swap for elementary school is proposed

From the story:

Independent sources have confirmed that DeKalb school administrators have recommended a property exchange with Georgia Perimeter College upon which to build a new elementary school that could house up to 1,000 students - but it’s not the same land that has been under consideration in previous discussions.

The school’s construction will trigger a massive redistricting movement in the Dunwoody cluster, the sources said. The decision was to be announced Tuesday night after The Crier went to press.

According to the sources, the school would be built on about 15 acres on Womack Road adjacent to the DeKalb School of Technology North, land that is now being used for athletic fields. In exchange, DeKalb Schools would give GPC the land upon which the technology school sits.

And

While the negotiations for the land swap are ongoing, the wheels are turning elsewhere to put the school’s construction on the fast track.

The board has already approved architects Richard & Wittschiebe to design the school, at a cost of $750,000, and that process is already underway. School officials estimate the school could be complete within about 18 months of breaking ground.

District 1 board member Chip Franzoni refused to comment about Tuesday’s meeting. Lewis could not be reached for comment prior to The Crier’s press deadline.

Steve Barton says:

Well, that $750k mentioned at the end of the story kind of settled in my mind where the new school was going to go. And, sure enough, the meeting's result was mentioned the next week in a letter to the Crier from Ellen Bowe:

On a rainy Tuesday, to a suprisingly small crowd, Dr. Lewis and his staff presented their plans for the new elementary school. At previous meetings, we had been assured that the community would be given a chance for input, but it was clear from this meeting that the decision has been made. The negatives of the location on Womack, mostly related to traffic from both the college and high school were not mentioned in the presentation. Nor, did system officials emphasize the fact they currently don't own this land -- Georgia Perimeter College does. It will be the middle of October at the earliest before this deal can enter its final stages.