Construction is underway on Henry County’s first STEM High School. The district celebrated the milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony in Stockbridge on Tuesday, April 22. The new school will open for students in August 2027.
Henry County STEM High School Groundbreaking
Henry County school district officials and staff, Henry County and Stockbridge representatives, and the project’s architect and construction teams gathered on Tuesday morning, April 22, for the STEM High School groundbreaking. The new STEM High School is located off South Lee Street in downtown Stockbridge.
Planning for a STEM school started during the 2019 community conversations. Community members voiced a request for more STEM opportunities in Henry County Schools. “We heard from over 8,000 community members in 2019,” shared Board Chair Sophe Pope. “We heard nothing more than we want more STEM opportunities.”
Investments in STEM became a recurring theme in the 2021-2026 district strategic plan. In the last few years, the district has invested over $3.85 million in STEM opportunities. They have purchased equipment for STEM labs at every elementary school as well as robotics equipment. The STEM High School is the largest of the new STEM opportunities.
The school district awarded the construction contract in August 2024 to MEJA Construction of Peachtree City. The $72.9 million project began by first demolishing the former Patrick Henry High School. The contractor has also started work to build a new gymnasium for Stockbridge Elementary School. Attendees at the groundbreaking saw the new gym is nearly complete. Once the new gym is ready for students, then the contractor will demo the existing gym. The rest of the site is now a level pad with work beginning in earnest on the new high school.
Construction will conclude in early 2027. This will give the school district time to move furniture into the building ahead of its opening. E-SPLOST 6 is paying for the construction.
About the STEM School
When the new school opens in August 2027, it will open with 9th and 10th graders. It will then increase to 900 students when at full capacity. Students from throughout Henry County will be eligible to attend. Final details for application and lottery requirements have not yet been finalized.
All students will take required courses in engineering and artificial intelligence. The school’s curriculum will then give students an opportunity to specialize in one of three areas:
- aerospace engineering,
- biotechnology and medical science, or
- sustainability and green energy.
The curriculum will make extensive use of Advanced Placement (AP) courses to give students a rigorous academic experience with collegiate-level research opportunities.
Remarks
“This STEM High School will prepare our students for what’s to come,” remarked HCS Superintendent Dr. John Pace. “This school represents years of planning and dedication…The input of families and our community-inspired strategic plan inspired this facility.”
“None of this would be possible without our pennies,” said Chair Pope. “Thank you to the Henry County community for supporting education SPLOST. Projects like this would never be possible without your support.”
The project’s architect, V. Smith of PBK Architects, shared insight into the design process. “The district visited other STEM high schools across the state for ideas to incorporate into this building design.” He also spoke about the innovative design featuring a central three-story building and three wings. The Henry Reporter had an opportunity to interview Smith about the design earlier this year.
Dr. Cleveland Johnson III, the district’s Chief Learning & Performance Officer, closed with “This school represents years of investment into STEM by our board. Here, students will design, build, experiment and innovate.”
Featured image shows the Henry County school board and executive cabinet members at the Henry County STEM High School groundbreaking on April 22, 2025. Clayton Carte photo.
