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APS outlines SPLAST-funded capital projects and moves Harper Archer planetarium to design phase
Summary
Atlanta Public Schools officials reviewed ESPLOST/SPLAST-funded capital work during a District 5 community meeting, highlighting renovations, bus and facility purchases, and a decision to use 2022 ballot funds to advance design work for the Harper Archer Planetarium ahead of a new referendum to be voted Nov. 3.
Atlanta Public Schools officials told District 5 residents at a virtual community meeting in March that the district is using prior ESPLOST (SPLAST) funds to advance infrastructure, safety and technology projects across the district and intends to put a new referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Adam Dancer, the district’s assistant superintendent of operations, said the 2022 referendum approved $650.8 million and that those funds are paying for projects including major classroom and HVAC renovations, permanent gym basketball goals at elementary schools, high school bleacher and turf replacements, security vestibule installations and technology purchases such as Chromebooks and wireless infrastructure. He said 67 yellow school buses and 24 white fleet vehicles were purchased with ESPLOST funds to modernize transportation capacity.
“The pennies that we are that come to our school system … this is the money the funding that we use to do a lot of our capital projects,” Dancer said. He described targeted District 5 work underway: Miles Elementary is undergoing a significant renovation with a targeted completion in June, Cascade Elementary received a full infrastructure refresh, and the district is continuing multi‑phase security vestibule installations (phase three covers 23 schools, with completion expected by November).
Board member Sherry Mitchell told participants she has advocated for restoring the Harper Archer Planetarium and said the board is advancing design work for the planetarium using allocations from the 2022 referendum. “As your District 5 representative, I plan to advocate to restore the planetarium,” Mitchell said, adding that she intends to press the district to include the project in planned work.
Several meeting participants and community voices spoke in support of restoring the Harper Archer Planetarium, saying it would strengthen STEM instruction and provide curriculum and community benefits for Atlanta Public Schools students.
Dancer said district leaders are also planning the next ESPLOST referendum and are seeking community input through the APS Accelerate meetings and cluster advisory groups; the district plans to bring a referendum proposal to the board for adoption in June and said the vote would be held Nov. 3. He emphasized that SPLAST funds are for capital investments and cannot be used for staffing.
The board encouraged residents to attend upcoming APS Accelerate community meetings and joint District 5/6 events to give feedback on project priorities, and to watch for outreach about the referendum drafting and adoption timeline.
