Overcrowding, old buildings spur major overhaul in Monroe County Schools

The Monroe County Board of Education recently approved a five-year facilities plan to ease campus overcrowding and address aging schools, including building a new high school and reshuffling grade levels by August 2029, officials said.

Student enrollment in the district’s preK-12 schools increased from 4,188 in the 2020-21 school year to 4,769 in 2025-26, according to documentation highlighting the district’s plan .

“These numbers are projected to rise as industry moves south from Metro Atlanta and families are attracted to the low-crime, rural settings,” the documents read.

The district’s student headcount has grown annually between 2019 and 2025, according to state data, showcasing a 15% increase.

In an email on Feb. 11, Monroe County Schools Superintendent Jim Finch described space constraints across several campuses.

“ One of our elementary schools, (Katharine B) Sutton, is out of classroom space. Three teachers (chorus, band, and computer science) roam to different classrooms throughout the day. Additionally, our district needs 4 additional teachers hired at Monroe County Middle School yet there are not 4 classrooms to put them,” Finch said.

Along with tackling student growth, the plan targets overdue building maintenance.

In 2025, the district replaced the 32-year old-roof at Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary School, and this year, the school is scheduled to receive a new HVAC system to replace units of the same age , the plan said.

Additional roof maintenance and renovation are also scheduled for the Monroe County Middle and TG Scott Elementary schools.

What proposed changes are under this plan?

Under the facilities plan, Monroe County Schools will shift from its current preK-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grade configuration to a new structure of preK-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12 by 2029. District officials said the reconfiguration was designed to ease overcrowding on all campuses.

A key component of the plan is the construction of a new 10th to 12th-graders facilities for Mary Persons High School, the district’s oldest school built in 1983.

The new building will be designed to serve 1,500 to 1,750 students. It will operate alongside the district’s existing Mary Persons High School Freshman Campus and College and Career Academy that was completed in 2025 and has a capacity of 500 students.

Once the new high school is completed, the current Mary Persons campus will be renovated and converted into a facility for seventh and eighth graders. The existing Monroe County Middle School campus will become a campus for fifth and sixth graders.

“Eventually, these two campuses could grow into individual middle schools — William Hubbard Middle School & Banks Stephens Middle School,” Finch said.

At the board meeting, Finch said the two middle school-concept will reflect the way the district structure from the early 2000s to around 2012 before it consolidated the two middle schools.

Under this model, the elementary schools will transition to preK-4 campuses.

Finch added that Monroe County voters approved the bond referendum and Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) in November to fund the new Mary Persons High School.

What’s next?

Now that the board has approved the plan, Finch said the next step is to submit the facilities plan to the Georgia Department of Education for final approval.

Additional steps include securing state approval of the five-year facilities plan, approving architectural drawings for the new high school, applying for state funding and soliciting bids for a construction management firm, Finch said.

“One of our main reasons for wanting ... getting this resolution done is because we’re accepting state funds to help alleviate all the costs going to our taxpayers, correct?” Monroe County Board of Education Chairman Greg Head asked at the board meeting.

Assistant superintendent Jason Flanders confirmed state funds would be used , adding that there is possibly $14 million the district can get to build the new high school.

Georgia provides renovation funding for school facilities at the 20- and 40-year marks. Because Mary Persons High School is more than 40 years old, he said, the district could qualify for the maximum state allotment, Finch said.

District leaders anticipate breaking ground on the new 10-12 Mary Persons High School in March 2027 and opening in August 2029.