The first public presentation of the proposed secondary facilities project by Dalton Public Schools has been scheduled for Monday, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. A Dalton Board of Education member and Superintendent Jim Hawkins will make the presentation before the regular board meeting at which board members will take a tentative vote to move forward with building a new 6-12 school. The presentation is the first of many planned public forums the school district will host in an effort to inform and receive feedback from the Dalton community.
The board and district administrators have been working to find the best solution to meet the facility needs of growing enrollment.
The board appointed a study group in 2013 to review information on enrollment trends and projections as well as capacity of existing facilities. After six months, the study group could not make a recommendation but had two options for the board’s further review: build a new 6-12 school, or reconfigure the grades within the district to have five preK -4 schools, a 5-6 school, a 7-8 school, and two 9-12 schools, including a new 9-12.
The board took the study group’s work and expanded it further to reach a consensus to build a new 6-12 school that will house 1,400 students. The presentation will include the benefits of a new facility, estimated costs, financing options, financial impacts on the community, and more. The attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session at the end of the presentation.
“We encourage all Dalton residents to come out and learn more about the challenges facing the school district with our growing enrollment and the opportunity that building a new 6-12 school offers students,” said Danny Crutchfield, chairman of the Dalton Board of Education. “This is very important time in our district’s history and adding a new secondary school is a pivotal decision that deserves the best thinking of our local citizens. We strongly encourage the public to come and hear the facts from the board.”
This meeting will be the first in a number of public meetings, but one of the few where all five board members will be in attendance. “A board representative will co-present at all the public meetings but the public forums being held before the regular board meetings over the next three months will feature all five members,” said Mr. Crutchfield. “We are looking forward to having the opportunity to dialogue with our community about this critical decision.”