by: Ethne Calnin, Pari Kahlon, Sofia Berghoff, and Presley Campbell
After years of speculation, talk, delays, meetings, public pushback, and parent outcry, the word is finally real: North Springs is getting a new building.
At the start of this school year, the year of its diamond 60th, the news of the groundbreaking seemed a given, but then the project seemed to stall, with the rising cots of materials said to be the source of the delay.
Following a public meeting held in January where school Superintendent Mike Looney and county board members addressed rising costs, crossed communication, and the continuing delays (as detailed by Rough Draft Atlanta (Officials address bid delays, rising costs for new North Springs High School construction – Rough Draft Atlanta), construction of the building was back on again –something that many feel was long overdue. The new building was first announced in June of 2021, with funding paid for from ESPLOST. Preliminary planning for the new building was first started and in April of 2022: Preliminary planning underway for new North Springs High School – Rough Draft Atlanta. The new building is planned to open in August in 2027.
The original school building was constructed in 1963, specifically what’s now known as the ERD Halls, on what Principal Scott Hanson described as, “the smallest piece of property in Fulton County for a high school.”
According to Mr. Hanson, when North Springs was first built, there wasn’t any air conditioning. Although there were additions and upgrades throughout the years (including a 2013 redesign and renovation of the bus loop, parking lot, front entrance and front hall), the problems that typically come with an old building began to show themselves, including old pipes. “Compared to other schools,” said Mr. Hanson, “it was simply “not equitable.”
Funding generated from SPLOST taxes paid for the new construction, while architects hired by district were brought in to create the design.
Above: Rendering of the courtyard and overhead plans for the grounds of the new school.
The new three-story building, designed by architect Eric Richardson of Collins Cooper Carusi Architects, will be constructed on the grounds of the old, with a complete reconfiguration of the space. Richardson is also responsible for design for South Cobb High School, schools in the APS system, and buildings for UGA and other higher education institutions. “The cafeteria will be on bottom level,” Mr. Hanson said. “So will the gym, weight room, classroom, and a patio, and the patio will go into a walkway.”
Students will have a new space to mix and mingle before classes. “There will be a courtyard,” Mr. Hanson explained. “In the mornings before school, the courtyard will be open.
Even the way cars and buses arrive will change. “The Roswell Road entrance is going away,” Hanson said. “The buses will leave behind the school out onto Trowbridge Road. There will also be more parking and the shape of the parking lot will be easier to navigate.
The inspiration for this estimated $120 million project is the City Springs Center in downtown Sandy Springs. Similar to the center, all the staircases will have glass windows to let in more light. The gym and theater will be easier to access with multiple entrances and exits, that will also be included in the build. The library will overlook the courtyard, which may or may not have a ping pong table!
On the second floor there will be all the important parts of a school. It will have the library with large open windows looking outside, the admin offices in the front of the school, and CTAE spaces. It will have an auxiliary gym, like the school has now, as well as science classrooms and three of the dance studios.
The second floor will also house the arts and music classrooms, including the theater with changing studios, and the band and orchestra rooms. Unlike the current building, most every classroom will have windows, except the science labs.
The third floor is where all the regular math, English, and language classrooms will be.
Hanson said that the new school will hold up to 1500 students, although the county does expect to exceed that number. “If needed, other floors could be added to hold more students,” Hanson said. He added that transformer needs to be ordered a year in advance, so hopes are that that the move into the new building will happen in August of 2026, with the new 80-foot football stadium done in 2027.
The culture of North Springs will be still prominent and a the heart of the school as people enter the new building. All college flags that currently adorn the ceiling will still be hung up. The hopes are for private school kids who live in the district to come here, and draw kids who currently go to Riverwood. He says new courses will be offered as the magnet programs change, including potentially a nursing program and more opportunities for students to gain experiences in the community.
Whatever happens, it’s an exciting time to be a Spartan!
North Springs Capital Plan:
Capital Plan 2027 / North Springs High School (fultonschools.org)
