Newnan High School, destroyed by tornado, to reopen end of summer
NEWNAN, Ga. - School officials tell FOX 5 they are on schedule to completely reopen Newnan High School at the end of this summer. FOX 5 got an exclusive tour of the ongoing construction at the school, which had suffered extensive tornado damage in 2021 and had to be torn down.
The new Newnan High School is reminiscent of the historic building that had stood for 70 years. That building was torn down last summer after engineers determined it was unsafe following the March 2021 EF4 tornado that so badly damaged the high school and surrounding community.
The new building has three floors and is 220,000 square feet in total size. Among the many modern amenities, a FEMA-rated tornado shelter built into a main hallway that is able to withstand EF5 tornado winds greater than 200 miles an hour, the most powerful on earth.
Coweta County School Superintendent Evan Horton tells FOX 5 they are not taking any chances.
"No, we are not taking any chances. And one of the main things for me, and I have to think about this, what if that tornado had hit during school hours?" he said.
RELATED STORIES
- Three years on: Newnan still recovering from devastating tornado
- Police: Video shows woman encourage child to snatch purse from Newnan Juicy Crab
- Newnan Chick-fil-A drive-thru employee saves choking girl's life
The EF4 struck in the middle of the night three years ago this week. The damage assessment, the demolition and the rebuild have brought us here to today with construction ongoing and on schedule.
School officials say the building includes state-of-the-art classrooms and a new auditorium to replace the one demolished by the storm. It also features a band room and a huge new cafeteria that will also include outdoor dining for students.
School officials say Newnan High School is set to reopen at the end of summer 2024.
The principal that will open the doors to the new building is also new himself, but no stranger to Newnan High’s old hallway. Dr. Gamal Kemp graduated from the school in 2003.
"We are excited to move into the school with all the upgrades it has to offer," he said.
Newnan High students are currently divided between two campuses with buses running back and forth during the day.
The new building will finally reunite students, many of whom have known nothing but damage and reconstruction for nearly all of their high school years.
Some of those upgrades are now available to students. Newnan High just opened its new 57,000 square foot gymnasium. Not many high schools can boast a suspended mid-court scoreboard, along with a wrestling and cheerleading room, and brand-new weight room for strength conditioning.