The City Schools of Decatur are in the early planning stages of building a new early childhood learning center on Electric Avenue, across from the Wilson Center.
The Decatur School Board received an update on the project during its Aug. 20 retreat. The school district is working with Candor & Company and Legacy 33 on construction plans.
“When I was appointed to lead this early learning center, I reached out to several experts in the field to help us develop an early childhood strategy. How can our strategy have the greatest impact in the City Schools of Decatur?” said Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Burton.
One of the goals in CSD’s strategic plan is to build a zero-energy early childhood learning center. The building would offset its electricity use with renewable energy sources, Chief Operations Officer Sergio Perez said during the school board meeting in March.
“This building will be carbon neutral, have zero CO2 emissions, be well ventilated and highly energy efficient, ensuring that it does not contribute to CO2 emissions or other greenhouse gases,” said Perez.
Currently, the plan is to redevelop the green space at 346 Electric Avenue exclusively into an early childhood education center. CSD hopes to begin construction in fall 2025, with the school scheduled to open in 2027.
“Our current property across from the Wilson Center, at the intersection of West Trinity Place and Electric Avenue, will be the site of our new Early Childhood Learning Center,” a district spokesperson said. “Previous plans for this property always called for the construction of a school.”
College Heights would remain and continue to offer early childhood education. The new ECLC will complement the College Heights program and is not intended to replace the existing ECLC.
“We also want to consider what is currently happening in College Heights. There may be an opportunity for us to work together and improve learning for all children, those who remain in College Heights and those who may come to the new early learning center,” said Mari Early, executive director of Legacy 33.
The City of Decatur’s downtown and parks and recreation master plans also identify this property as a potential downtown green space. The school district purchased the property in 2017 and it has served as a passive green space since then.
“Following the completion of a feasibility study by the City Schools of Decatur for a possible future facility on this property, this plan recommends that any new development or infill prioritize green space, parking or plaza space as a sensible and thoughtful element in the site plan design,” the downtown master plan states.
CSD’s five-year capital construction plan called for the site to house a combined ECLC and senior high school, but the senior high school is no longer part of the plan.
“The plan does not include upper elementary schools because data suggests that additional early learning opportunities (birth to age 4) are needed to improve outcomes for all students in the CSD,” the CSD spokesperson said.
“Our data shows that CSD has a significant number of students who begin kindergarten without the necessary skills,” she added. “As a result, they struggle to excel in elementary, middle and high school. The new Early Childhood Learning Center is our strategy to meet basic learning needs and ensure kindergarten readiness for all students.”
Legacy 33 CEO Early works through her consulting work to remove barriers to strong and equitable outcomes.
“With a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, Legacy 33 supports families, communities and organizations to ensure stability and equity for future generations. From educational support to organizational development to financial strategies, Legacy 33 provides real advice, resources and solutions to achieve sustainable results and strengthen our community,” their LinkedIn profile states.
During the school board’s retreat, she said the district wants to ensure the new ECLC supports all students from cradle to career.
“We want to get them in as quickly as possible to support their learning and make sure they are ready for kindergarten, third grade, high school and life in society and the workplace,” Early said.
CSD and the consulting team are in the early stages of planning the new facility and are focused on gathering information. Early said some of the key information and inputs they are seeking are financial sustainability, community integration and communication, highly qualified staff and continuous improvement.
“These are our four focus areas and key factors to ensure that we have a sustainable and viable program for our children,” she said.
According to the presentation, this includes building a model that integrates and supports the community, ensuring educators and staff are well trained and equipped to provide quality education, and continuously evaluating and improving the quality of the learning center’s programs and services.
In addition to gathering this information, the team will conduct a landscape analysis and focus on building relationships with stakeholders. The district has also launched a parent survey to gather feedback and is currently developing the strategic visioning process for the project.
The district spokesperson added that there will be several opportunities for stakeholder involvement.
“We have a diverse group of community members participating in feedback sessions to understand the need and help the architects envision the design of this new building,” she said. “These sessions will ensure that the building and surrounding campus align the values of our community with the learning needs of our children.”
A team is visiting schools and the Decatur Housing Authority. The school board will see the updated capital master plan during its Sept. 10 meeting.
“The school board will (also) receive a comprehensive plan on December 10, 2024,” the spokesperson said. “The public can also attend our community meeting on January 22, 2025, where we will provide status updates on the construction project.”
Dates for community input in the spring will be announced later. Anyone with questions or input is asked to contact Early at [email protected].
This story was provided by WABE content partner Decaturish.
