Clarke County School District Interim Superintendent Jennifer Scott unveiled a plan Tuesday to restore the historic West Broad Street School campus and convert it into an expansion site for the Athens Community Career Academy.
The proposal centers on rehabilitating the 1938 Minor Street School building and the 1958 Campbell Lane building. Both structures have sat unused since Rutland Academy left the campus in 2009. Fire damage, vandalism and years of vacancy have placed the buildings at risk of permanent loss, Scott said.
“We must act now, both to preserve an important part of Athens history and to move forward with a plan that gives this space new life,” Scott said.
The district is issuing a request for proposals to hire a structural engineer to evaluate the Campbell Lane Building, with findings expected in January. The district will also form a building committee that includes career academy representatives and community members.
The project will use E-SPLOST funds reserved for educational purposes.
Plan Rooted in History, Workforce Needs
The proposal includes a new construction career pathway, which career academy leaders have supported in recent years. The construction pathway will require state approval, Scott said.
The Campbell Lane building will house labs for construction and welding. Career, Technical, & Agricultural Education regulations require that heavy construction labs be at least 2,990 square feet, standard labs be 2,800 square feet, and public safety labs be 2,340 square feet and any related spaces need roughly 500 square feet.
Residents said they strongly support a vocational program at the site.
“This is the perfect plan for the school district to keep the property and to upgrade it,” Athens resident Kimberly Bennett said.
Scott said community history remains central to the project. The district drew inspiration from the transformation of the H.T. Edwards complex, and the West Broad plan aims to balance preservation with modern instructional space.
The Minor Street building will include a Heritage Room, hallway displays and outdoor historic markers modeled after those at the H.T. Edwards Teaching & Learning Center. The restored structure should maintain its 1938 exterior with a renovated interior.
The district also plans to create community gathering spaces, multi-use rooms and an outdoor park area. Infrastructure improvements planned by Athens-Clarke County, including a roundabout near the complex, will improve traffic flow and access, supporting revitalization, Scott said.
Community Input and Next Steps
The district launched an online survey to collect public feedback.
“Your voice matters,” Scott said. “Your input will help shape the future of the West Broad School site.”
Bennett, who has lived in Athens her entire life, said she hopes the project moves forward quickly.
“We’re ready to move forward on a project to save that space for education, not housing or any other thing,” Bennett said.
The district plans to continue holding informational sessions, providing opportunities for community input and posting updates on the West Broad Revitalization website.
Mollie Beth Johnson is a journalism major in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
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