Construction on Oglethorpe County’s new elementary school is scheduled to start in June. 

Southern A&E, an architectural and engineering firm, presented the design and materials of the new school to Superintendent Beverley Levine and the Board of Education on Tuesday night.

“We took inspiration from the middle school, the high school and of course the courthouse,” lead architect Sara Honeycutt said. “We wanted to make it feel like home for you guys.” 

Southern A&E CEO Steve McCune said the construction will take approximately 18 months. 

Vicky Matthews, the Oglethorpe County School System’s director of finance, confirmed funding for the new school will include $22 million from the state’s Capital Outlay funding in conjunction with bonds.

The new elementary school will be built behind the current elementary school. This will allow students to stay in their current school until the construction is complete.

The old school eventually will be demolished to create a parking lot and grounds for the new school.

Honeycutt presented a design for 1,250 students and showed how it can accommodate up to 1,450. The school will have 79 classrooms.

Classroom colors will be neutral to allow teachers to customize them. The gym will have retractable bleachers and the floor will be made of Mondo, a rubber product.

“It has been a real give and take,” Levine said about working with Honeycutt. “She really has seen our vision, and that is not always easy. She has been amazing to work with.”

In other news:

Recent OCHS students of the month were named by Principal Susie Johnson:

• The 2022 December Principal student of the month is Briya Chappell. She has a GPA of 3.94, is a member of the UGA Upward Bound program and will attend Athens Technical College in the fall. Chappell intends to major in business management. 
• The 2023 January Principal student of the month is Jenna Fleming. She has a GPA of 3.9, is a member of HOSA, FFA, NHS, Beta Club, the Interact club and the volleyball team. She plans to attend Georgia College in the fall and become a nurse.
• The 2023 February Principal student of the month is Kyle Frankel. He has a GPA of 3.72, is dual enrolled at Athens Technical College, and is a member of FFA, NHS and the Beta Club. He was on the 2019 state championship cross country team and received the Patriot Academic Award. He intends to attend Middle Georgia State University to earn a bachelor’s in aviation, science and management.