Jackson graduates who bought their old school just scored a near-$500,000 federal cleanup boost to tackle asbestos, lead and other hazards lingering at the abandoned Henderson School campus.
The Henderson School Alumni Association Trust (HSAAT) has secured a $499,950 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfields cleanup grant to fund environmental abatement and community-engagement work on the 20-acre property. The site includes roughly 76,000 square feet of classroom space plus a separate gym, and the buildings have been largely vacant since 2010.
EPA selection and funding
The award is listed on the U.S. EPA’s FY2026 Brownfield Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Selections as a $499,950 Cleanup Grant to the Henderson School Alumni Association Trust for work at Henderson School, according to EPA. The document notes the grant is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and that selected applicants must clear legal and administrative requirements before any money actually flows.
Contamination found on site
A draft Phase II environmental assessment completed in November 2023 by contractor Tetra Tech found a laundry list of hazards in both the gym and classroom buildings. Eighteen asbestos-containing samples tested above 1%, with some materials exceeding 3%. Nine locations screened for lead came in above EPA standards, and inspectors also flagged potential PCB-containing light ballasts and mercury-containing equipment, according to the project’s reuse assessment on the HSAAT project site.
The report recommended full asbestos abatement, licensed removal of lead-based paint and proper disposal of any PCB- and mercury-containing equipment before any interior renovation moves forward. In other words, the nostalgia factor will have to wait until the toxic stuff is safely out.
Plans for reuse
Once cleaned, HSAAT plans to transform the buildings into the Henderson Academy Community & Workforce Development Center, with S.T.E.A.M. training, job-creation programs, recreation and health services for Butts County residents.
The group is already building a community learning garden with backing from Amazon, ChangeX and local partners, and it is planning athletic programs, a summer reading camp and seasonal festivals, according to the Jackson Progress-Argus. HSAAT CEO Charles Barlow told the paper the federal grant “will enable cleanup of the site that would not occur without EPA support.”
Why the brownfields program matters
EPA’s Brownfields program, launched in 1995, offers competitive assessment and cleanup grants to help communities clear contamination that would otherwise stall reuse and redevelopment, according to EPA. Those grants often pay for costly abatement work such as asbestos removal and safe disposal of PCBs and mercury, opening the door to new housing, jobs and community facilities where blighted properties once sat idle.
What happens next
HSAAT says the cleanup money will go toward interior abatement and expanded community engagement with youth, seniors and local faith partners, even as the group continues broader fundraising and a phased reuse plan.
For more project details and contacts, HSAAT lists CEO Charles Barlow along with phone and email information on its site. The trust can be reached at (404) 754-3073 or [email protected], according to the HSAAT website.
