On Tuesday, Nov. 19, school officials held groundbreaking ceremonies for Hendricks Middle School and the Forsyth County Arts and Learning Center (FOCAL Center) and nearby Academy for Creative Education (ACE).

Located off Hyde Road, Hendricks Middle School is scheduled to open in 2020 and alleviate overcrowding at Liberty, Otwell and Vickery Creek middle schools. The 216,000-square-foot building will accommodate 1,500 students and cost $40,639,536.

The FOCAL Center and Academy for Creative Education will be located behind the Forsyth County Board of Education headquarters off Dahlonega Highway.

The FOCAL Center will be the school district’s central performing arts facility. Plans call for an 1,800-seat main theater, black box theatre, concessions, dressing rooms and storage.

The new Academy for Creative Education will house the system’s alternative learning programs: Gateway Academy, Forsyth Academy and Forsyth Virtual Academy.

FOCAL Center is expected to be mostly complete by winter 2021, while ACE is slated to be mostly complete by April 2021 and ready for 2021-22 school year.