DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The State Board of Education has signed off on the DeKalb County School District's plan to renovate a dilapidating high school.
Nearly two months after Druid Hills High School students exposed toxic conditions including mold, crumbling ceilings and even a sewage leak on the campus, district leaders addressed their concerns by approving a $50 million renovation plan in May. The state gave the plan the final stamp of approval to make the recommended renovations.
The renovation plan comes after the district faced weeks of criticism for administrative decisions which included a scathing letter from Georgia's top school official, which addressed the students' viral video of Druid High's conditions. The day after the letter was penned, the district ousted its leader and appointed an interm superintendent.
In May, the Georgia Department of Education hired an adviser to work on the "systemic operations issues" within DeKalb County Schools. Dr. Tanzy Kilcrease is assessing the district's current operations in order to make recommendations and monitor the progress for changes. She began working with the DCSD on June 1.
DeKalb County Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Vasanne S. Tinsley previously said the district will continue to implement an "aggressive action plan to improve facilities and maintenance projects across the school system."
The DeKalb County School District will start the procurement process and award design services by this fall. Then, the project will move on to the design phase. It's anticipated to take approximately a year with construction anticipated to begin in Spring 2024. The school district added that Druid Hills High School will remain open throughout renovations.