Newnan High School's grand reopening: Take a sneak peek inside

NEWNAN, Ga. - The first day of classes will be a special one next week at Newnan High School. It has been three years since a tornado so badly damaged the building that it had to be torn down.  

Last-minute work continued at the new school on Friday. It will be unveiled to the public in a 2 p.m. open house on Sunday, July 28. 

The Coweta County School District has unveiled an 11-minute video that documents the 2021 EF-4 tornado and its damage to the school and surrounding town in a devastating path that stretched for miles.

The old building was condemned and torn down later that year. Since then, students and faculty have been spread out in other buildings and campuses. Some students have never had a permanent high school building. 

There are reminders of that in the new building as it was designed with shelters for the next tornado. 

The 223,000-square-foot building was designed and constructed in record time and the new $110 million Newnan High School preserves the character of its 70-year-old historic predecessor. However, it is state-of-the-art in both technology and design. The school features extra-wide hallways, has no lockers, and offers a lot of natural light. The cafeteria is huge, but there is also an outside plaza with dining areas. The new auditorium replaces one built in the 1950s. Just across the hall is the band room. 

The public is invited to the open house and dedication ceremony on Sunday.