Fulton Schools to Consolidate Administrative Offices

Milton Center will be closed to help save the Fulton School System millions of dollars in annual maintenance. A new home for Independence High is being sought.

The closure of old Milton High – which opened in 1921 – is just part of a plan to close six facilities as Superintendent Robert D'Avossa and his staff consolidate administrative offices to a central location in Sandy Springs.

What do you want to see at the old Milton High School site?

The Fulton Board of Education voted on Oct. 15 to purchase two Sandy Springs office buildings to house most of the school system's instructional and support personnel.

The buildings slated for closing were rated in "poor" condition, are old and it would be costly to renovate them or provide long-term maintenance for their use. It would cost $56 million to renovate them, and $2.2 million in annual operating costs.

The buildings and land could be sold or repurposed for future district use.

New Administrative Buildings
New Administrative Center – 6201 Powers Ferry Road, Sandy Springs
North Learning Center – 450 Northridge Parkway, Sandy Springs
South Learning Center – 4025 Flat Shoals Road, Union City

Properties Slated for Consolidation

• Current Administrative Center – 786 Cleveland Avenue SW, Atlanta
• Milton Center – Alpharetta
• Jo Wells Center – Hapeville
• Meadows Operations Center – College Park
• Professional Learning Center – East Point
• Instructional Technology Center – Atlanta

"These savings can be redirected to the classroom and invested into student learning,” said Superintendent Robert Avossa.

“We’ve known for years that these buildings were close to the end of their life cycle but our focus has been on providing quality schools for students and teachers,” said School Board President Linda Schultz. “When the time came to consider improved facilities, we knew it was also the time to look at the current location of our administrative centers and whether they were in the right place.”

In the late 1950s, when the current Administrative Center opened in southwest Atlanta in a renovated office building, Fulton’s student population base was mostly located in South Fulton. Data from the 2010 Census shows that Sandy Springs is now the district’s student population center.

Plans call for some departments, such as Professional Learning, GED testing, Student Discipline and School Police, to have satellite offices in both North and South Fulton.

Departments and staff will begin transitioning into their new buildings by September 2014. Moves will occur gradually over a series of months so that service to students and schools is not negatively impacted. All moves are expected to be complete by June 2015.

– Compiled from a Fulton Schools System news release, with additional reporting by Bob Pepalis.