By Rebecca Gaunt

The Cobb County school board approved a $71.9 million contract with the Atlanta-based company Carroll Daniel Construction for the Sprayberry High School renovation and replacement project Thursday.

The Sprayberry community came together to demand improvements in early 2021.

Completion is expected by July 2027. The project is funded by SPLOST VI, which was approved by voters in November 2021.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale acknowledged the challenges that the school will face while the work is completed.

“It is not going to be a fun time of construction…everybody is having to compromise and sacrifice so we can get this underway and completed,” he said.

The side of the school facing Sandy Plains Road is frequently mistaken for the front of the school, but the main entrance is actually on the other side, Ragsdale explained. The construction equipment will be kept on the backside, visible from the street. 37 portable classrooms will be used during the build.

“However, the end of the tunnel is the bright spot, and it will be an awesome campus once everything is complete,” he said.

The existing band, choral, orchestra, drama, and theater building will remain. Construction on a new gym and CTAE building (Career, Technology and Agricultural Education) for Sprayberry was completed in 2023.

The existing cafeteria and interior gym will be renovated. A new four-story classroom addition will be built, with administrative offices and a learning commons. 66 classrooms will be demolished, and 68 new classrooms built.

Additional district improvements

The board also approved multiple contracts for bathroom renovations at City View Elementary ($316,725), Lost Mountain Middle School ($537,821), and Smitha Middle School ($418,959) with the Tucker-based company Diversified Construction of Georgia, Inc. The projects will be funded by SPLOST V with a scheduled completion date of July 2024.

Griffin and Simpson Middle Schools will also get bathroom renovations courtesy of SPLOST V. The board approved contracts with Triad Construction Co., Inc., based in College Park, for $617,000 and $428,833 respectively. Those are also expected to be completed by July.

Roof Technology Partners, a Woodstock-based company, will replace the roof at Durham Middle School for nearly $4.2 million in SPLOST V funds. Completion is expected by January 2025.

Rebecca Gaunt earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Oglethorpe University. After teaching elementary school for several years, she returned to writing. She lives in Marietta with her husband, son, two cats, and a dog. In her spare time, she loves to read, binge Netflix and travel.