Crews making ‘significant progress’ on next high school in Forsyth County

The Forsyth County Board of Education were given an update on the progress of building East Forsyth High School on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, during a work session. Here, an aerial view of the school. (Photo courtesy Forsyth County Schools)

20200516_EastForsyth_6_web — The Forsyth County Board of Education were given an update on the progress of building East Forsyth High School on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, during a work session. Here, an aerial view of the school. (Photo courtesy Forsyth County Schools)

The North Forsyth community has been waiting more than a decade for its next high school. The COVID-19 pandemic is not stopping Forsyth County Schools from making progress on that facility.

On Tuesday, May 12, Tom Wening, direction of construction with the school district, provided an update on East Forsyth High School, which is slated to open August of 2021.

Crews of more than 300 “are working 12 hours a day, six days a week,” Wening said, on the $85 million project, which has seen “significant progress.”

The roof is complete, and crews have begun work on interior finishes, Wening said. Installing utilities and paving are underway, too.

20200516_EastForsyth_5_web — The Forsyth County Board of Education were given an update on the progress of building East Forsyth High School on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, during a work session. Here, an aerial view of the school. (Photo courtesy Forsyth County Schools)

In addition, the high school’s athletic facilities are coming along. Baseball and softball fields are “substantially complete,” Wening said. The football stadium’s bleachers are under construction.

Wening said crews hope to complete the football complex by May of 2021 to allow for spring practices.

When finished, East Forsyth will have room for 2,215 students pulled from Forsyth Central and North Forsyth districts and open with grades 9-11.

20200516_EastForsyth_4_web — The Forsyth County Board of Education were given an update on the progress of building East Forsyth High School on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, during a work session. Here, a look at construction of the school's football stadium. (Photo courtesy Forsyth County Schools)

Located off Jot Em Down Road, the school district purchased land for a future high school in the early 2000s, but the project was delayed by the 2008 financial crisis.

In March 2019, the Forsyth County Board of Education approved a bid by Carroll Daniel Construction to build the school, and the school district held a ground-breaking ceremony two months later.

Last November, former South Forsyth and North Forsyth principal Jeff Cheney was selected to lead East Forsyth.

The school colors will be navy and orange. The mascot, Broncos, is inspired by the Bennett Park Broncos, a former youth football team in the area.

20200516_EastForsyth_3_web — The Forsyth County Board of Education were given an update on the progress of building East Forsyth High School on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, during a work session. Here, a rendering of a lobby area outside the school's gymnasium. (Photo courtesy Forsyth County Schools)

20200516_EastForsyth_1_web — The Forsyth County Board of Education were given an update on the progress of building East Forsyth High School on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, during a work session. Here, the design of the school's football field. (Photo courtesy Forsyth County Schools)

East Forsyth will also be identifiable by a career development program called “HGTV” that includes interior design, marketing, design, engineering, construction and audio/video production.

The school district also hopes to make East Forsyth the site of a child care center operated by students in the school’s early childhood education pathway.

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