Residents Turn Out for Answers on New Smyrna Elementary School

The school calendar debate won’t be the only issue of local interest on the Cobb County Board of Education agenda tonight.

Eight of the nine non-calendar discussion items involve construction projects using Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax money. One of those projects is the new elementary school in Smyrna, whose the school system announced last week.

Smyrna-Vinings Patch will be reporting live from the meeting beginning with the public comments; you can find the article on the home page just before 7 p.m. or go directly to http://patch.com/buRLA.

On Wednesday night at a public forum on the new $22 million Smyrna elementary school, Post 2 board member , who represents Smyrna, put to an end to discussion as to whether additional school sites would be sought out as opposed to the current site location between Ward Street and Atlanta Road.

He addressed the issue due to the events of Tuesday’s Facilities and Technology committee meeting, when several board members expressed concern over the cost of the school. The district has proposed to pay $7.8 million for the 18-acre property, which comes to about $433,698 per acre.

“I think the price was set in good fashion,’’ Stultz said “This will be brought up for vote (Thursday) night and I will be voting with the board to approve.’’

Smyrna residents voiced several areas of concern about the new school that is scheduled to open in the fall of 2013. Mary Kirkendoll asked questions, both verbally and through submitted cards, concerning alternative locations for the school, adding “I don’t think the community’s voice was heard on this.’’

Stultz later responded, “I think we found the best value of land that we could; this was the best possible solution.’’

Others expressed concerned that the new elementary school would be too close to Campbell High School, where Wednesday’s public forum was held.

“This elementary school will be in its own environment,’’ Stultz explained.

And several parents wondered about the future of nearby elementary schools, such as Brown, Belmont Hills and Argyle.

“The capacity of around 900 may seem large, but the last few elementary schools built in Cobb County have been roughly that size,’’ Stultz said. “We have a lot of trailers at our schools. The idea was to create an elementary school that would relieve one of the older (schools).’’

But which school, if any, is closed when the new school opens will be open for numerous future public discussions according to Cobb County School District Area 2 Assistant Superintendent Dale Gaddis.

“The most immediate need is Argyle because it’s over capacity,’’ Gaddis said. “Brown is over capacity. But we haven’t talked about closing any of these schools. There’s going to be plenty of time to talk about that.’’

The district plans to construct an Atlanta Road-Ward Street connector near the school where the current Smyrna Commons sits. It would be done using funds from the 2011 SPLOST if voters approve it next month. If the SPLOST is defeated, the construction of the connector would fall on the City of Smyrna according to Stultz, who also indicated that there could be some redistricting once the new school is built.

Also tonight, the selection of for the West Cobb ninth-grade center could generate a lot of debate. The SPLOST referendum didn’t specify a school for the center, and the district revealed Feb. 9 that Harrison will house the $14.3 million center because of its central location, high number of classroom trailers, age and upcoming renovation project. Kennesaw Mountain, Hillgrove and Allatoona high schools were the other options.

Chairwoman Alison Bartlett has said the center should be built at Smyrna's Campbell High, based on its enrollment zone boasting 5,145 homes sold and leased from 2007 to 2010. Of the four west Cobb high schools considered, Kennesaw Mountain had the highest number of homes sold and leased in that period with 1,979, according to figures she presented to the board.

The Marietta Daily Journal reported Thursday that the school district's Facilities and Technology Committee voted 7-6 this week against putting the center at Harrison. That vote is advisory, not binding.