continued from page 113 construction of the replacement school.
Jalia Babino, 6, throws dirt on the ceremonial pile at a groundbreaking
for the new Clay Harmony Leland Elementary School in July 2019.
Board member Jaha Howard, who began serving on the
board in 2019, said while he is new, he is fully aware of how
long the south Cobb residents waited. Harmony Leland and
Clay elementary schools feed into the middle schools that
Howard represents, he said.
“I definitely have a special heart for families in this area.
It means the world to ... see the construction process live
and in person,” Howard said. “Of course we want projects to
move fast, but more important than fast, we want them to
be done right. And this project is right. It’s the perfect time
for this community.”
Board member David Morgan, who represents both
elementary schools to be replaced, was not present at the
groundbreaking.
The district also borrowed $90 million in January 2019
to expedite the year’s construction projects, which included
the Clay Harmony Leland replacement.
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale told the MDJ then that
borrowing money at the start of the year had become
“standard operating procedure” that would help the district
save money on construction costs and avoid inflation.
Ragsdale thanked the community at the July
groundbreaking for approving the 1% education sales
tax in 2017, which gave the district the go-ahead on the
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“We’re excited about this,” Ragsdale said. “Without you, the
community, this is just not possible. If we didn’t have SPLOST,
we’d have to go back to bonds — God forbid.”
Ragsdale said the district committed to prioritizing the Clay
Harmony Leland replacement school as the first project “out of
the gate” with SPLOST dollars, but acknowledged, “I know it’s
been a long time coming.”
Parent Lauline Babino agreed. She was excited to bring her
daughter, 6-year-old Jalia Babino, to the ceremony so she could
be one of the only students who will see the beginning of a
process leading to a brand-new school and ushering in a new
era for Mableton students and their families.
“She gets to be part of that, and that’s very exciting,” Lauline
Babino said. “We’re excited about this upcoming year, but we
just can’t wait to walk the building of this new school.”
The new Clay Harmony Leland Elementary School, at 6326
Factory Shoals Road near the intersection of Factory Shoals
Road and Mableton Parkway, will include 76 classrooms and
combine the 600-student population at Harmony Leland and
380-student population at Clay Elementary, according to Nan
Kiel, a spokeswoman for the Cobb County School District. Clay
covers 55,412 square feet, and Harmony Leland covers 65,127
square feet.
Kiel said Harmony Leland Elementary has served Cobb
students for nearly 70 years, and Clay Elementary served
students for about 60.
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