Habersham schools move ahead with playground project

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — Habersham County Schools is moving into the next phase of a major project to replace playgrounds at all eight elementary schools, with officials expecting to select a contractor in November.

Assistant Superintendent David Leenman told the Habersham County Board of Education during its Sept. 29 work session that the district has posted a request for proposals for the playground project and is preparing to meet with companies interested in the work. The project is one of the larger initiatives funded through the district’s ESPLOST program and is intended to provide updated, age-appropriate playground equipment at each of the county’s elementary schools.

The district will hold a pre-submittal conference and site visits for interested companies, allowing potential vendors to meet with district officials and tour all eight elementary schools. Companies will have until Oct. 19 to submit written questions or requests for clarification, with proposals due Oct. 27 at the district annex. District officials will then evaluate the proposals and identify two or three finalists for interviews.

Leenman said the finalist interview panel will include school system staff, administrators, parents and local community stakeholders. The district hopes to bring a final recommendation to the Board of Education for approval at its Nov. 9 meeting and notify the selected company Nov. 10.

“We’re getting into the meat of the planning,” Leenman said, adding that several vendors already have expressed interest in the project. He said the district also has worked with a vendor during the planning process to learn more about playground design and how the project could come together.

The playground project was discussed by the board earlier this month, when district officials described the effort to update playgrounds at all eight elementary schools as a significant undertaking that would require a deliberate process. The district plans to use a design-build approach, with equipment designed to serve different age groups and the project incorporating accessibility and inclusivity features as well as shade structures.

Leenman said he expects the district to have a more thorough update for the board in November as the proposal process moves forward. He also said he plans to make his presentation about the project available to the public so residents can see the information being provided to the board.

Hazel Grove renovation could tap state funding

The board also heard an update on a potential capital outlay project at Hazel Grove Elementary School, where district officials are exploring state funding for renovations to the aging campus.

Leenman said the potential project would include renovations to restrooms, classrooms and administrative areas, as well as HVAC and roof replacement. He emphasized that the capital outlay application would not commit the school system to completing the project or spending money on the renovation.

“Capital outlay in this conversation doesn’t lock us into anything,” Leenman said. “This is opening the door for a potential funding avenue.”

The Georgia Department of Education has reviewed the proposed project, and Leenman said state funding could be available if the district moves forward. The local board must approve the capital outlay application by Nov. 1, according to the timeline presented to the board.

If the application is approved, the earliest possible project start date would be April 1, 2027, with the capital outlay timeline extending through Aug. 1, 2029. Leenman stressed that those dates are associated with the state application and do not represent a firm construction schedule. Supplies, vendor availability and funding would all have to be considered before the district commits to the renovation.

Approval of the application would make $741,807 available toward the project if the district ultimately chooses to proceed. Leenman said Monday’s regular board meeting will include a business item and vote on whether to approve the application.

Denise Gunn, the district’s facilities director, emphasized that the board could still remove the project from consideration after approving the application. If the board later determines the renovation is not the right project for the school system, she said, another board vote could take it off the table.

Board member Russ Nelson said maintaining Hazel Grove and Woodville elementary schools is important to the community because both are older facilities.

“The reality is the community has expressed over the years the importance of Hazel Grove and Woodville, and they’re old schools,” Nelson said. “In order to keep them going, we need to do the things that we need to do to make sure that they’re functioning for a long time.”

Superintendent Patrick Franklin said securing state capital outlay funding could reduce the amount local taxpayers would ultimately have to provide for a project the district determines is necessary.

“We look at it saying, you know, the project’s going to cost more than that, but it’s like, I’ve got to put a roof on the house, and the state pays for a third of it. I only have to pay for the other third,” Franklin said. “So if we can get some funding for that, it’s great for taxpayers for sure.”

United Way asks schools to increase pledge

The board also received a presentation from Georgia Foothills United Way President and CEO Shelby Ward, who outlined the organization’s work with Habersham County Schools and local agencies serving students and families.

Ward said about 85% of United Way funds go back into the community through partner agencies, many of which provide services to Habersham students. Among the organizations she highlighted was the Boys & Girls Club, which served 628 students during the 2025-26 school year, and Circle of Hope, which has 86 volunteers working on literacy efforts and provides dictionaries to every third grader while sponsoring the county’s school spelling bee.

The Habersham County Christian Learning Center also served more than one-third of the 2026 graduating class at Habersham Central High School, Ward said. School employees currently contribute about $2,000 per month through payroll deductions, while the school system typically contributes $15,000 annually to United Way.

Ward asked the school system to consider increasing that annual pledge to $25,000 for the coming year. She said increased employee payroll deductions could mean the additional amount the school system would actually need to contribute would be less than $10,000.

Ward also told the board that money raised in Habersham County stays in Habersham County, despite Georgia Foothills United Way’s broader umbrella now including Stephens and Rabun counties. She said each county continues to maintain its own fundraising efforts and resources.

The board’s Monday meeting will include the vote on the Hazel Grove capital outlay application, while the playground project is continuing through its vendor selection process.