The future for South Atlanta High School is literally brighter after Atlanta Public Schools (APS) made a $1 million investment using Educational Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) funds to bring much-needed improvements to the school.
APS celebrated the major renovations to the school with a ribbon-cutting ceremony preceding the South Atlanta Cluster’s Fall Festival, which had students, families, teachers, and staff from every school in the cluster in the crowd to see the new upgrades for themselves.
Photos by: Jessica Mynatt
“This was monumental,” South Atlanta High School principal Phillip Braziel II said. “The front of the school, the foyer, has never looked so amazing. It has changed how the students feel when they arrive at school.”
South Atlanta completely overhauled the front of the building, adding extended overhead covering where students are dropped off in front of the school, upgrading the entrance to the building, and renovating the administrative and counseling suites.
The renovations also included infrastructure upgrades like the roof, HVAC, and improvements to some of the school’s athletic facilities.
“South Atlanta is an important corridor for our school system, and we’re going to continue to make deep investments in this footprint,” APS Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson said. “It’s important to us that every school, no matter the zip code, is an exceptional place for students to learn. Where the students have great academic programming in a place that challenges them, pushes them to be all that they can be.”
In November, Fulton County voters approved E-SPLOST VII, which will allow APS the opportunity to make deeper capital investments in not only the South Atlanta Cluster, but throughout the district.
APS has already shared plans to use 2027 E-SPLOST funds for exciting developments like bringing back the Harper-Archer Planetarium, restoring the pool at Hollis Innovation Academy, building new stadiums at Therrell High School and North Atlanta High School, opening a new elementary school at the A.D. Williams site, and more.
“Seeing the impact of these resources (E-SPLOST) on learning environments and what’s happening in academic programming, it’s just absolutely phenomenal,” Dr. Johnson said. “It’s important for us to not only keep our buildings up, but to also make strategic investments that take our buildings to the next level. Ultimately, we want students, teachers, and staff to feel seen, heard, and comfortable in the building, and so we’re excited about the investments that we’re going to be able to make to ensure that it happens.”