Thursday March 28th, 2024 1:01PM

Gainesville school system officials unveil plans to juggle student populations during upcoming construction

By B.J. Williams

Employees of Gainesville's Enota and Centennial elementary schools Wednesday got their first look at how plans for extensive work on both campuses will impact both student bodies. 

Dr. Wanda Creel, Gainesville City Schools Superintendent, unveiled the game plan to faculty and staff before releasing details publicly.

Creel said in a press statement that work will begin first on a two-story, 30-classroom addition at Centennial Arts Academy. Those plans should be approved by the Georgia Department of Education in March and construction would begin immediately after approval is granted. Creel said the addition at Centennial should be finished by December 2016.

Once the addition is finished, that paves the way for students from Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy to share the Centennial campus while a brand new Enota school is built. 

"The new building will be built in a way that preserves the unique qualities of the current building. The district is looking for ways to connect the old building with a new building. For example, the beautiful wooden doors at the front of Enota’s school will be preserved and used in some way in the new building," said Creel in the press statement.

Creel said Enota students - grades kindergarten though 5 - would begin the 2016-17 school year at the current Enota building and then move half-way through the year. 

"The Enota family will be housed in structures that are located on the property near Centennial Arts Academy. The Enota family will occupy the two modular units currently being utilized by Centennial Arts Academy and one modular unit currently being used by Lanier Technical College. Additionally, the new addition at Centennial Arts Academy will house Centennial students on one floor and Enota students on the other floor," Creel said.

Students will also use the empty gym at the Ninth Grade Center for physical education classes. 

Enota students would be housed in the temporary location at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year and then move to the new school for the second half of that year. 

Both the Centennial and Enota projects will be funded by money generated from E-SPLOST V.

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  • Associated Tags: Gainesville City Schools, E-SPLOST V, Centennial Arts Academy, Enota Elementary, Centennial Elementary, Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy , school construction
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