Athens City Schools broke ground on the HEART Academy at Julian Newman Elementary School construction project on Wednesday, March 20. This $26 million dollar rebuild and renovation will be located on the previous school site at 517 Julian Newman Drive.
HEART Academy at Julian Newman Elementary, designed by McKee and Associates, will encompass more than 85,000 square feet and house over 700 students. Lee Builders, Inc. will construct the state-of-the-art school to include:
– 29 standard classrooms
– 3 special education classrooms
– 6 shared classroom spaces
– 1 music classroom
– 1 art classroom
– HEART lab
– Cafeteria
– Media center
– 2 storm shelters for students, faculty and staff
– 2 renovated gymnasiums
Athens City Schools Pre-K through 3rd-grade elementary academies incorporate themed projects and activities to teach the traditional elementary standards. HEART Academy at Julian Newman integrates health and wellness, along with math, science and technology, for an enriching learning experience for students.
“This is such an exciting day in ACS and in our community. Our new HEART Academy at Julian Newman Elementary campus will not only meet the needs of our students, faculty and staff, but also the growth of our community,” said Beth Patton, Athens City Schools Superintendent.
Julian Newman Elementary School, named after former Athens City Schools Superintendent, Julian Newman Sr., opened its doors in 1964 and proudly stood for 60 years, serving generations of families and thousands of students. The final bell rang in the old building in May 2023. Heart Academy at Julian Newman is currently located at the ACS Clinton Street Campus.
According to Principal Sharla Birdsong, “I’m absolutely thrilled about the rebuild and renovation for JNES. We will all be excited to watch this project unfold and take shape into a wonderful learning environment for both students and teachers.”
Athens City Schools looks forward to welcoming HEART Academy at Julian Newman Elementary students to their new home in the fall of 2025. Follow the progress at acs-k12.org/JNES.