Site work and new construction of an educational facility in Decatur, Georgia. Completed plans call for the construction of a 33,000-square-foot educational facility; and for site work for a educational facility.

https://www.decaturish.com/schools/senate-passes-bill-requiring-referendum-for-csd-bonds/article_d0b66d3b-f543-4557-8ca5-f3f041dac033.html ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate passed a local bill March 20 that would require a voter referendum for certain City Schools of Decatur bonds over $20 million. The bill is now in the House awaiting action. Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, filed Senate Bill 625 on March 17. The bill says if the Decatur Public Facilities Authority were to issue revenue bonds to City Schools of Decatur over $20 million, voters would have to approve the issuance through a referendum. CSD asked for a $52 million bond from the city’s Public Facilities Authority to build an Early Childhood Learning Center at 346 W. Trinity Place and make improvements at Decatur High School. The PFA approved the bond in October, and it was validated in December, but the funds have not been disbursed yet. The school district plans to repay the bond over 30 years using sales tax revenue at an interest rate not exceeding 6 percent. $584,900 2723 Davis Oaks Way | Oak Grove | Scenic Front Porch Excellent location and move in ready. $534,900 108 Knob Hill | City of Decatur Three bed with three full bath | Low HOA Fee | Walk to downtown Decatur! $624,900 410 Carter Ave | East Lake | 2800 SqFt! Welcome to Olmsted in East Lake where this beautiful 2 story Craftsman MA School Counseling March 2026 880x109 The Decatur Public Facilities Authority was created through local legislation in 2017 when the city of Decatur was purchasing the United Methodist Children’s Home on South Columbia Drive, now known as Legacy Park. The PFA gave the city a way to borrow money quickly, and the original legislation also allowed CSD to borrow money under that authority. SB 625 amends the original legislation to require that, for any CSD project costing $20 million or more, the PFA and the city must call a voter referendum to authorize the issuance of bonds. Elena Parent 03232026.jpg Georgia Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, looks at the screen in the Senate chamber during the floor session on March 23, 2026. ZOE SEILER/APPEN MEDIA The current proposed ECLC costs about $22 million. The early learning center building will hold 150 students, with 50 students able to attend at no cost, 50 having reduced tuition for CSD staff and 50 paying tuition to attend. Among the building's amenities will be an enclosed courtyard for supervised outdoor play and high-raised windows in early learning classrooms for privacy. Parent told Decaturish that the legislation would apply to a bond that has been validated, and if the bill passes before the bond is issued, a referendum may be required. The legislative session ends on April 2. City Schools of Decatur cannot apply for permits until after the historic preservation process ends on April 20. A group of Beacon Hill elders has requested that the green space and several surrounding properties be designated a local historic district to preserve the history of the former Black community. The legislation comes after Parent and Reps. Omari Crawford and Mary Margaret Oliver, both representing Decatur, sent the school board a letter on March 15 demanding that CSD hold a public referendum before proceeding with construction of the ECLC on West Trinity Place. They said they would file the legislation if the board did not act. So far, the board has not issued any public response or held any public meetings about the legislators’ demand. The legislators said they support creating a new early learning facility, but are worried about how it is dividing the city. “However, we are increasingly concerned that the visible conflict among our elected leaders and our other community stakeholders is accelerating and painful for all of us,” they wrote. “It does not serve the needs of children in the community nor the city of Decatur itself for such division to persist.” The letter notes that the community is frustrated with the school board’s actions. “Many community members have raised concerns with us, chief among them that the process to reach the decision to build the ECLC has not been open, transparent, and collaborative, specifically with respect to community stakeholder input on the cost, scope, and location of the proposed project,” the Decatur legislators said. Crawford and MMO 03232026.jpg Georgia Reps. Omari Crawford and Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, talk on the House floor during a break on March 23, 2026. ZOE SEILER/APPEN MEDIA How we got here: A timeline of the Decatur Early Childhood Learning Center project The Decatur Early Childhood Learning Center has been a topic of discussion since at least 2017, but the project’s details have evolved along the way. Here is a recap of significant moments in the ECLC project’s history. May 2017: The City Schools of Decatur purchased 346 W. Trinity Place, a greenspace and former home to Allen Wilson Terrace, a public housing apartment complex in Beacon Hill. March 2019: During the State of the City Address, then School Board Chair Lewis Jones said the board’s priority in 2019 was planning for and figuring out how to fund a new Early Childhood Learning Center, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. October 2021: The Decatur School Board discussed the district’s five-year master plan, which included a $24 million combined Early Childhood Learning Center and upper elementary at 346 W. Trinity Place. April 2023: The Decatur School Board hired Gyimah Whitaker to become the district’s newest superintendent. Whitaker entered with an emphasis on closing the achievement gap for Black students through early learning. Planet Ice Feb 2026 880x109 GOOD Obstetrics 880x109 August 2024: During a board retreat, Decatur Schools unveiled its new plan to construct a new Early Childhood Learning Center for ages 0-4. The proposed timeline featured a groundbreaking in fall 2025 and a grand opening in fall 2027. Since the initial announcement, the district promoted the early learning center to better serve children in the Decatur Housing Authority, citing the location’s walkability. The ECLC would also look to add more seats for ages 0-4, with waitlists at both Frasier Center and College Heights ECLC. December 2024: The first conceptual design of the ECLC is revealed. It is expected to hold 150 students, with 50 students attending for free through scholarships and CSD funding. February 2025: During a board retreat, board members and staff work to craft a collective vision statement for what they want the ECLC to become April 2025: The school board approved a $40,000 contract with Parrish Construction Group for pre-construction services on the ECLC. The contract was approved just minutes after a meeting attendee was physically removed for calling the board cowards for removing their equity policies in response to federal pressure. June 2025: Chief Operations Officer Jarvis Adams, hired in March 2025, presented a new comprehensive capital improvement plan proposal that includes the planned ECLC along with multiple Decatur High School projects, including a new black box theater, auxiliary gym and added lab space in the current Frasier Center building. The ECLC project is estimated to cost $22 million, and all projects combined totaled $35 million. The Decatur City Commission was initially slated to discuss and vote on the ECLC development plan, but it was discovered that CSD did not require approval due to the property’s zoning, so the item was removed from the agenda. August 2025: CSD begins seeking a bond for the projects. Following feedback from the Decatur Planning Commission to add more greenspace, the district also pitches a two-story option, raising the total project cost to $30 million. The board rejected this plan in September due to its cost. At a community meeting, board members answer logistical questions on the ECLC. The audience support for the project is mixed. October 2025: The board approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Decatur Public Facilities Authority for $52 million to construct the ECLC, the Decatur High School expansion and refinance former bonds. The vote in the meeting was 4-1, with board member Tracey Anderson opposing due to concerns about cost and transparency during the process. However, the official meeting minutes approved in November show a 3-1-1 vote. The minutes said board member James Herndon recused himself, despite participating in the discussion. The vote is largely overshadowed by the release of a “school consolidation” study that could lead to the closure of a K-2 school by December 2025 due to the district’s declining enrollment. The ECLC is explicitly discussed as separate from the study. November 2025: The PFA bond is challenged by Decatur residents who claim the process had lacked transparency and excluded the community from public discussion. December 2025: The bond is validated and CSD begins to plan for ECLC construction. January 2026: The residents who challenged the bond decide against appealing the judge’s decision to validate it citing financial threats from the school district’s attorney. The organizers of Decatur Day, a celebration with Beacon Hill community members held on the greenspace set to be the home of the ECLC, file a historic designation application on the site. February 2026: The Historic Preservation Commission accepted the application, which would place a pause on the ECLC’s construction until the designation is voted on. CSD writes a letter refuting the need to stop work, but compromises by agreeing to wait until April 17. Reporter Jim Bass and editor Dan Whisenhunt contributed to this story -------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.decaturish.com/news/decatur/decatur-schools-learning-center-design-nearly-settled/article_0a6fcec0-0212-446c-a486-11b987be0cde.html DECATUR, Ga. — A new update on the Early Childhood Learning Center was presented to the Decatur School Board during its Sept. 9 meeting, indicating the district is moving forward with the single-story option for $22 million. The ECLC is part of a major comprehensive capital improvement plan, alongside a Decatur High School expansion, totaling $35 million. The “guaranteed maximum price” will be presented at the Oct. 14 board meeting, according to Chief Operations Officer Jarvis Adams. The groundbreaking is set to be held in December. The DHS expansion includes a new black-box theater, new auxiliary gymnasium and the repurposing of the Frasier Center for new CTAE courses and labs at DHS. Hawkes '65 PA Program 880x109 While there are still decisions to be made about the center’s parking area, the building’s design is mostly complete. “At this point, the design is pretty settled,” Superintendent Gyimah Whitaker said. Whitaker added that the next decisions to be discussed following the completed design will be the colors, theme and branding of the ECLC. The schematic design featured in the presentation shows 51 parking spots on the south end of the building with a decision of either angled parking or parallel parking still being discussed on W. Trinity Place. There is also a new public-facing entry in the design following requests from community stakeholders. CSD schematic design.png A presentation slide showing the current Early Childhood Learning Center schematic design that will be shown during the ECLC update at the Sept. 8 board meeting. Provided/City Schools of Decatur After receiving multiple recommendations from the Decatur Planning Commission in June, but not needing approval from Decatur’s City Commission, the design now aligns with what the city’s regulations require, according to Vice Chair Hans Utz. “Just to be explicit for the public, these modifications that we’ve made in the last few weeks now have this building not requiring any variance and comports with what the city standard requirements would have been,” Utz said. Extinct & Endangered 880x109 2025 Readership Survey 880x109 During the regular session, the board approved a renewal for Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) to serve as the district's architect to complete construction documents and provide construction administration for the new ECLC and related capital improvements. Board member Tracey Anderson spoke about the item, which was on the consent agenda, and asked the board whether the community will have any more input on the design. “Just to reiterate, unlike the city input for the new modification of the ECLC building with the newest design, there will be no other opportunity for the public to give input on the building design?” Anderson said. The City Schools of Decatur will host a community meeting to discuss the ECLC and DHS expansion on Monday, Sept.15, from 6:30-8 p.m. at Beacon Hill Middle School’s media center. In other business, the board: — Received the district’s overall capital plan highlighting the key priorities for the 2026-27 fiscal year. These priorities include Beacon Hill Middle School HVAC replacements, interior painting, and other renovations that will total $1.8 million. The plan also includes adding synthetic turf to replace the dirt play area, which was referred to as the “dust bowl” play area. Other schools receiving upgrades in the plan include Clairemont Elementary, Winona Park Elementary, Oakhurst Elementary, Glennwood Elementary and DHS. The capital plan does not include the ECLC or DHS expansion projects. — Discussed during the pre-work session the logistics and implementation of a policy regarding cellphone use in kindergarten through 8th-grade classrooms. The policy follows a state bill passed earlier this year called “The Distraction-Free Education Act” that requires the restriction. Best of N Atlanta 2025 880x109 R Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here. Support Decaturish by giving to our fall fundraiser today. Visit here to learn more. -------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.decaturish.com/news/decatur/decatur-schools-propose-new-early-learning-center-design/article_b816220b-4313-4252-8bde-bf23193ef4e1.html DECATUR, Ga. — The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education will provide updates on its latest capital improvement plan and propose a new option for the district’s new Early Childhood Learning Center during the board’s work session on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The meeting will begin with a pre-work session at 2:40 p.m., a work session at 3:40 p.m., and then the regular meeting starts at 5:25 p.m. Meeting times are adjusted each month according to the length of the agenda. The Decatur School Board discussed the project during its June 10 work session, the last time the board held a regular meeting. A comprehensive capital improvement proposal listed the ECLC as “the first domino” of more projects to come, including a black box theater and auxiliary gym for Decatur High School. Kudzu long banner Hawkes '65 PA Program 880x109 After facing recommendations and public pushback on the ECLC project, the district is set to propose a second option to go along with the first, according to a presentation attached to the agenda item, which would add 6 percent to 8 percent more green space and a second story to the design. The updated design option would add $8 million to the ECLC construction plan, increasing the total cost from $22 million to $30 million. It would also shift groundbreaking from December to April 2026 and move the opening back from fall 2027 to fall 2028. ECLC New Option.png A new design showing a second option of the Early Childhood Learning Center featuring a second story and more greenspace. The design will be presented at the August 12 meeting. Provided/City Schools of Decatur The new option follows Decatur’s Planning Commission voting for the project to be sent to the Decatur City Commission in June with five conditions, including conducting a traffic study, minimizing on-site parking, and complying with the special pedestrian and parking overlay district requirements. Turtles Extended 880x109 GOOD Obstetrics 880x109 According to City Schools of Decatur Chief Communications Officer Mikkal Hart Murunga, both of the district’s current early learning facilities, College Heights and Frasier Center, are full and have waitlists; a 115-child waitlist for College Heights and a 16-child waitlist for Frasier Center. To read more about the ECLC’s initial plan proposal and the feedback received from the public, click here. The meeting will be held at the Elizabeth Wilson School Support Center, located at 125 Electric Ave. in Decatur. To view the meeting’s agenda, click here. To view CSD’s meeting link, click here. In other business, the board will: — In the work session, review its 2025-2025 policy plan and discuss priorities for the upcoming school year. — Consider approving a $310,753 fiscal 2026 license agreement with Renaissance Learning for core K-12 assessment, MTSS, data intelligence, ELA, phonics and math resources. — Consider approving a year-two extension with 34ED, LLC, for the Centegix CrisisAlert, Visitor Management, and asset tracking system for $116,400. Best of N Atlanta 2025 880x109 R Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- https://decaturish.com/2025/06/decatur-schools-to-receive-updates-on-capital-improvement-new-early-learning-center/ DECATUR, Ga — The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education will receive a Comprehensive Capital Improvement presentation and discuss updates on the district’s proposed Early Childhood Learning Center during the board’s work session on Tuesday, June 10. The meeting will begin with a pre-work session at 2:50 p.m., a work session at 3:30 p.m., and then the regular meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Meeting times adjust each month according to the length of the agenda. There will also be a Decatur Planning Commission meeting on June 10 at 7 p.m., where CSD will seek approval for a Comprehensive Site Development plan for the construction of the new ECLC. Both meetings are open to the public. The School Board will meet at 125 Electric Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030. The Planning Commission will meet at Decatur City Hall, located at 509 N McDonough St, Decatur, GA 30030. Masters PA Studies WebinarSpirit Guides 880x109 The CSD Comprehensive Capital Improvement presentation will summarize the district’s focus on “essential investments for student success.” It will also show each aspect of the district’s student program areas, including early learning, arts, athletics and CTAE, and highlight their primary needs along with their future plans. According to the presentation, CSD’s early learning needs more space, which is what the ECLC is meant to fix. CSD planned for the ECLC construction to break ground in the fall of 2025 on the greenspace at 346 Electric Avenue. The arts, athletics, and CTAE programs also each list more space as their primary need. The presentation outlines estimated costs and explores various funding strategies for the solutions. The preliminary projected CSD Capital Improvement costs are $35 million. GOOD Gynecology 800x109 The meeting will be held at the Elizabeth Wilson School Support Center, located at 125 Electric Ave. in Decatur. To view the meeting’s agenda, click here. To view CSD’s Zoom meeting link, click here. In other business, the board will: — Consider approving a $128,095 purchase with BSN Sports for weight room equipment in Decatur High School. “The Decatur High School weight room is unsafe,” the June 10 agenda item said. “Many benches and other machines are broken and pose a risk to students and student-athletes.” — Consider approving a $370,351 purchase of 21 air conditioning units/RTUs for College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center through Mechanical Service Incorporated. — Consider authorizing Board Chair Dr. Carmen Sulton to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding for CSD to implement a School Resource Officer program. “The program would have three specifically trained and SRO-certified uniformed City of Decatur police officers on CSD campuses to act as law enforcement agents, provide instruction on the criminal justice system, and service as unofficial counselors and mentors to students,” according to the agenda item. Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here. Support Decaturish by becoming a paying subscriber today. Visit supportyourlocalnews.com to learn more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- City Schools of Decatur (CSD) invites you to submit a submittal for furnishing all goods and/or services required for Construction Management at Risk (CMaR) Services. The City Schools of Decatur ("CSD"), the owner, is soliciting proposals from offerors experienced in providing Pre-Construction and Construction Phase (Construction Management) services. The project includes the construction of an approximately 33,000 sq. ft. new facility to hold their Early Childhood Learning Center with a rooftop green and garden. Exterior site improvements include surface parking, pickup and drop-off, a dog park and green space, and necessary site utility and storm water improvements. The hard costs of the project, including the CM fee, should not exceed $23,000,000. Construction Management at Risk Firms or Teams must include, at a minimum, PreConstruction, Construction, and Close-out Phase services. The City Schools of Decatur has retained an A/E & Civil Engineering team B. SCOPE CSD is requesting this Offeror: General Scope of Service: Includes complete CM Pre-Construction services; cost management; schedule management; low voltage design systems Design Assist, coordination with City Schools of Decatur's special inspections / material testing consulting teams; submissions and permitting to all authorities having jurisdiction, including but not limited to City Development Services and Fire Marshall; full Construction Management, and Post Construction services. (Refer to Appendix A - General Scope of Work & B Specific Scope of Work for details) Any questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing to Kattina Abram via email at csdpurchasing@csdecatur.net no later than Monday, February 24, 2025, at 4 pm. Questions received after 4 pm on Monday, February 24, 2025, will not receive a response.