Henry County Schools approved construction of its first STEM high school on Monday. The building will cost $72.9 million.
Planning for the new school began in 2019-2020. The project is funded by the SPLOST VI educational program.
STEM High School Construction
The Henry County School Board has approved the contract to build STEM High School with MEJA Construction. The council approved the contract at its August 12, 2024 meeting. The company submitted a bid of $72,887,000. This represents a cost per square foot of approximately $373. MEJA was the lowest bid of four bids the district received.
MEJA Construction, based in Peachtree City, has extensive experience with schools in Henry County. Most recently, the company built Birch Creek Elementary, which opened earlier this month. The company also built McDonough High School, Hampton High School and the Fairview Performing Arts Center. Other previous projects include Dutchtown High & Middle, Locust Grove High & Middle and Union Grove High School. Finally, MEJA built a number of local elementary schools.
The new STEM school will be located in downtown Stockbridge. It is located on South Lee Street. Construction will begin this fall. The developer will first demolish the existing Patrick Henry High School. Construction will then begin on the new school. In addition to a new high school, the project also includes the construction of a new gymnasium for the adjacent Stockbridge Elementary.
If you look at the project representations, the media center, the cafeteria and a large courtyard are located in the center of the school. The two common areas are on either side of the courtyard. Finally, the classrooms are located in the multi-story parts of the building.
The new school will be a three-story building. It is about 15,000 square feet in size. That is about half the size of the district’s other high schools. Therefore, it can accommodate fewer students compared to traditional high schools – 900-1,000. The school will open to students in August 2027.
The MINT school curriculum
The STEM High School plans to offer students an advanced curriculum in three ways. These are as follows:
- Aerospace, with a focus on electrical engineering,
- Biotechnology and medical sciences and
- Sustainability and green energy.
The district plans to offer a “challenging accelerated curriculum at the STEM high school that includes a rigorous sequence of AP courses and the integration of university-level research content.” They are continuing to work on developing the final curriculum that each educational pathway will follow. The school will also offer students full fine arts accompaniment, such as band and orchestra. There are no plans for the school to compete in athletics.
Students from across Henry County can attend the STEM school. Additionally, the district provides transportation to its students. Henry County Schools plans to conduct a lottery when selecting students for the school. More details about the lottery will be announced closer to the school’s opening.
For more renderings of the new school, check out our August article!
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Board members expressed their excitement for the project before voting to build it. Several board members were virtually speechless, noting how beautiful the new facility will be.
Board Vice Chair Edwards noted that the new school is “state of the art.” She is excited to see the school completed so students can begin learning there. Board member McDaniel thanked the residents of Henry County for their support of E-SPLOST and for trusting the school district to build such a facility. He described the new school as “a game changer for the students of Henry County.”
In closing, Board Member Nutt noted that the common spaces in the school’s hallways will change the way teachers conduct their daily instruction. It is unlike anything that currently exists in Henry County Schools. Board members and district staff designed the school after several visits to other STEM schools in the metro Atlanta area.
The featured image shows a representation of STEM High School. All photos are courtesy of Henry County Schools.
