CUMMING — Four years after its formation, the Forsyth County Public Facilities Authority appears poised to help fund its first project — a new charter school that would a focus on college dual-enrollment and career advancement.

A vehicle for funding construction of public facilities, the authority can enter leases, contracts or other agreements, as well as issue bonds for county building purposes.

The authority was approved by then-Gov. Sonny Perdue and the state legislature in 2008. The five-member panel, appointed by the county commission, formed in 2011 and meets at least twice a year.

Though a public facilities authority bond was identified as one possible funding source for building a county animal shelter, sales tax money ultimately was used for the structure that opened in August 2014.

The authority is prohibited from issuing bonds for any building with construction costs of more than $20 million without voter approval or court order.

The projected cost of the school, according to officials, is between $18 million and $22 million. The school district is working with the local governments, colleges and business leaders in the area to move the project forward.

“We do not currently have the funding to build such a school,” County School Superintendent Jeff Bearden told the authority during its meeting Monday.

Bearden explained that there is a need for a specialty high school geared toward industry certification and dual enrollment with local colleges.

“What I mean by a specialty school is a nontraditional high school,” he said. “We’re not talking about athletics or music or anything like that.

“We’re talking about high-wage, high-demand, high-tech type of experiences for our kids, the possibility where they may even earn industry certification while they’re in school.”

Due to the non-traditional nature of the campus, it would have to be operated as a charter school.

“It would still be a part of the Forsyth County School System, but it would be a charter school because it has to be in order to apply for the grant,” said Bearden, referring to a possible $3 million grant the district is pursuing through the lieutenant governor’s office.

“Which means the charter school would have to have a governance committee, acting sort of like the Board of Education, not quite. They would still fall under the Board of Education.”

Plans call for the school, which would be open to about 1,000 Forsyth County students, to open by the 2018-19 school year. That’s the same year as the new Denmark High School will open in southwest Forsyth.

“Our school system will be going through redistricting anyway, and it’s an opportunity to let parents and students know there is another choice available for them,” Bearden said.

The school board is hoping to build the school within the Cumming city limits, so students could be bused in from their “base” high school.

Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt said that the city was in favor of the school concept.

“We think certainly education has been a goal of Cumming and Forsyth County,” Gravitt said. “Since this is not a traditional high school, I think it will be a benefit to Cumming and Forsyth County students in the future.”