Work is underway to raze Chamblee Charter High School and replace it with a new, larger and more modern building.
DeKalb County voters on Nov. 8 handily approved an extension of the county’s Special Local Option Sales Tax for education, called SPLOST IV, which is designated to pay for $475 million in projects across DeKalb.
Part of the SPLOST money is to be used to repay bonds financing a significant portion of the work at Chamblee High.
The Chamblee project is projected to cost nearly $69 million. Taxes collected under the current SPLOST III are to pay for $11 million of the work and the bonds to pay the remaining $58 million.
Work on the new high school is to be completed in 2013. The new, 275,000-square-foot high school will include new classrooms, labs, a new cafeteria, gym, natatorium and art and music suites. New ball and practice fields are being added and the drives reconfigured to create separate bus and parent drop off spots, district officials have said.
When complete, the school is expected to house 1,600 students, but it can be expanded, if necessary, to hold up to 2,000, school officials have said.
DeKalb County extends sales tax
Should a penny sales tax for education (ESPLOST) be approved?
Yes 33,114 62 percent
No 20,141 38 percent
Source: DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections
