Tallassee breaks ground on new multimillion dollar high school

TALLASSEE, Ala. (WSFA) - Tallassee is getting a new high school. Construction started a few weeks ago, but on Tuesday city school leaders and town officials made it official with a groundbreaking ceremony.

Construction is taking place right next door to the current Tallassee High School building, a nearly 100-year-old structure that officials say has served its purpose and is in need of replacement.

Tallassee city and school leaders take part in a groundbreaking for the new Tallassee High... — Tallassee city and school leaders take part in a groundbreaking for the new Tallassee High School, which should be completed by the fall of 2022.(Source: WSFA 12 News)

The price tag for the new facility will be around $21 million.

Tallassee City Schools Superintendent Brock Nolan said the funding is coming from three sources. Those include a city sales taxes that was passed several years ago, a city bond issue, and a state bond issue.

When it’s all done, the new Tallassee High School will look very similar to the one it is set to replace, something that was by design after listening to community input.

Nolan added his own children are the fourth-generation of his family to walk the halls of THS and that the process of replacing it is years in the making.

A rendering shows the new $21 million Tallassee High School will look remarkably similar to the... — A rendering shows the new $21 million Tallassee High School will look remarkably similar to the one it will replace, but the interior will include state-of-the-art amenities.(Source: WSFA 12 News)

Despite looking like the old school on the outside, Nolan said the new Tallassee High School will feature an auditorium that will have room for more than 650 people, a band and fine arts complex “complete with classrooms and the latest media,” and state-of-the-art science labs.

So why replace the original building that has stood the test of time since 1929? Nolan said it comes down to a cost analysis.

“The energy savings, the student safety aspect of the building,” Nolan said. “It would cost millions of dollars just to sprinkle the building.”

Simply put, it would cost millions of dollars more to maintain the current building than it would to build a new one.

The old Tallassee High School building has taught generations of students dating back to the... — The old Tallassee High School building has taught generations of students dating back to the 1920s, but city and school officials say it's time for a new, modern facility.(Source: WSFA 12 News)

Nolin said construction is ahead of schedule and, so far, within budget.

In a month or so, Tallassee city school leaders will begin moving in modular classrooms to handle classes during construction. The goal is to have everything built and move-in ready by the fall of 2022.

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