Henry County Schools Holds Topping-Out Ceremony for STEM High School to Open August 2027
HENRY COUNTY, GA – Henry County Schools Superintendent Dr. John Pace III, members of the Henry County Board of Education, and other school and community leaders on Tuesday signed the final beam of the district’s first state-of-the-art STEM high school scheduled to open for the start of the 2027-2028 school year.
Henry County STEM High School’s $73 million construction cost was funded by the Education – Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) VI, approved in 2021 by Henry County voters. Community members and industry leaders also provided input on the facility’s design.
Board Chair Sophe Pope (Dist. 4) thanked the community for supporting the project.
“Your willingness to invest in education proves that in Henry County, we do not just talk about empowering all students for success in a global society,” Pope said. “We put our resources behind that mission.”
The “topping-out” ceremony at 109 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Stockbridge was held exactly two weeks before applications open Sept. 29 for the new school.
“Today, we are no longer just setting the stage,” Pace said. “We are quite literally raising the roof on the future of public education in Henry County.”
Current eighth and ninth grade students will be able to apply to Henry County STEM High School. Students must meet stringent academic standards to participate in the lottery for admission. More information on admission requirements and the application and lottery process is available on the district’s website.
Students from across Henry County may apply, and transportation will be provided to and from their zoned school cluster.
Every student will take rigorous courses in artificial intelligence, computer engineering, and robotics. Students will also choose one of three specialties: biotechnology and medical science; sustainability and renewable energy; or aerospace with a concentration in electrical engineering.
“We are creating a dynamic learning environment that will focus on the fields shaping the 21st century,” said Chief Learning and Performance Officer Dr. Cleveland “Chip” Johnson III.
Unlike other STEM-focused high schools in metro Atlanta, the Henry County STEM High School was designed with an additional emphasis on fine arts, including a small auditorium.
In addition to its core curriculum and fine arts opportunities in orchestra, band, musical theater, and visual arts, the school will offer Georgia High School Association-sanctioned Esports, intramural sports, and physical education.
PBK Architects designed the school. The project’s lead designer, Tracey Moss, graduated in 1986 from the former Stockbridge High School on the site, which was demolished to enable construction of the new school.
“Architects dream to have the opportunity – that’s the key word, opportunity – to come back, tear down your old high school, and build back your design on that site. So, I think it’s been a special project to him, and therefore, to us,” said Turner Burson, PBK’s director of construction services in Georgia. “That word, opportunity, kind of describes in a nutshell this whole facility and what it is here for. It’s opportunity for these kids to have different programs, more advanced programs, and move on to take on the new opportunities that they’re going to have.”
Henry County STEM High School will span 177,000 square feet and eventually enroll around 900 students in grades 9-12. The school’s inaugural class in August 2027 will consist of only ninth and 10th graders.
MEJA Construction, based in Peachtree City, is the lead contractor.
“A topping-out ceremony is a moment in construction where we get to stop and look back and see what’s already been accomplished,” said Paul Gable, vice president of construction for MEJA. “Every piece of steel, every yard of concrete, every wall, every pipe represents somebody’s hard work, and it represents coordination, problem-solving, and craftsmanship.”
Henry County STEM High School’s application submission window will close for priority review on Oct. 30. Students who apply during this window are most likely to receive their first-choice area of study. The submission window for conditional review closes Nov. 11, and students and families will receive notification of acceptance on Dec. 9.