Agenda Item
i. Modernization of Druid Hills High School (Not to Exceed $185,000,000) ~ Updated 12.5.2025
Summary: Presented by: Mr. Erick Hofstetter, Chief Operating Officer, Division of Operations
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education reaffirm its commitment to modernizing Druid Hills High School on its current Haygood Drive Campus, preserving the historic core building while undertaking complete modernization of other structures and authorizing the Superintendent to proceed with final planning, design development, procurement, and construction activities necessary for the modernization project - up to 1,600 total seats for the modernized school - at a cost of Construction Estimated at Completion at $185,000,000.
Why: The modernization of Druid Hills High School aligns with the district’s long-term capital improvement plan and supports the goal of ensuring high-quality learning environments for present and future students. Additionally, a series of community engagements revealed:
Strong community sentiment with many parents, students, and neighborhood stakeholders supporting modernizing DHHS on its current campus
Recognition of the importance of undertaking a modernization project that is fiscally responsible, environmentally sustainable, and reflective of community priorities
. Recognition and acknowledgment that a promise was made to a community in April 2022, and that promises should be kept
While other relocation options were feasible and logical, those options would alter history. Relocating DHHS would mean it would no longer be Druid Hills High School; it would be a new high school in a new community.
Details: Reaffirmation of the DeKalb County Board of Education's May 31, 2022, commitment and authorization to proceed allows for appropriate investments and resources to develop a viable and compliant plan within the guidance necessary to meet or exceed all scope and sequence expectations in preparation for final approval of a guaranteed maximum price contract for construction.
Financial impact: E-SPLOST VI - $10,000,000 Planning and Pre-Construction Services
E-SPLOST VII - Construction Estimated at Completion $185,000,000 (Pending Approval Nov 2026)
Contact: Mr. Erick Hofstetter, Chief Operating Officer, Division of Operations, 678-676-1470
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
Student Density and Feeder
Schools
Feeder Area DHHS %
Students
Avondale ES 411 28%
Briar Vista ES 181 13%
Fernbank ES 276 19%
Laurel Ridge ES 216 15%
McLendon ES 245 17%
Other (outside of 118 8%
attendance area)
½ of the student Total 1,447 100%
body lives south
of this line
½ of the student
body lives east
of this line
Student Commute:
Distance from Home to
School
Max 5.1 miles
Mean: 3.3 miles
Median: 3.5 miles
Mode: 3.5-3.7 miles
Lullah Hills
(North DeKalb Mall
Where are the growth areas? Redevelopment):
80 townhomes
~1,700 multifamily
Kensington:
~350 new apartments
~1,500 more proposed, long-term