Henry County school and community leaders gathered this week to mark the installation of the final steel beam at the county's new STEM high school, a visible sign that the $73 million campus in Stockbridge is moving toward its planned August 2027 opening. The milestone comes as families prepare for an application window that opens September 29 for the school's inaugural class.
As reported by CBS News Atlanta, the beam installation represents a major construction checkpoint for the 172,000-square-foot, three-story building rising at 109 South Lee Street. According to The Henry Reporter, the Henry County Board of Education approved $72.887 million from Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VI in August 2024 to fund the project, with general contractor MEJA Construction — the same firm behind Birch Creek Elementary and McDonough High School — building a campus designed at roughly half the footprint of a standard Henry County high school to serve its specialized student body.
Three Academic Pathways Built Around Regional Job Growth
Once open, the school will offer students three specialized study pathways: biotechnology and medical science, sustainability and renewable energy, and aerospace engineering, according to WSB Radio. The station reports the curriculum is designed to align coursework directly with high-demand employment sectors in the region. Students will also be expected to tackle organic chemistry, advanced genetics, multivariable calculus, and a specialized three-course artificial intelligence sequence, per Henry County Schools.
The station's report also details how the school will launch in August 2027 with an initial cohort of ninth and tenth graders before incrementally expanding to a full capacity of 900 students. That phased rollout is meant to let administrators establish the school's culture before the campus reaches maximum enrollment.
A Site With a Long History in Stockbridge
The Stockbridge property carries its own local history. Henry County Schools notes the site previously housed Stockbridge High School until the mid-1990s and later Patrick Henry High School until 2015, with the older structures demolished to clear the way for the new STEM campus. District leadership chose the location in part to leverage proximity to Piedmont Henry Hospital and local healthcare leaders for clinical and industry partnerships, according to a report from 11Alive.
The project traces back to 2019 community listening sessions that drew more than 8,000 residents, which led to over $3.85 million in foundational STEM investments across elementary and middle schools under the district's 2021–2026 strategic plan, Henry County Schools says. Those earlier investments outfitted elementary schools with dedicated STEM labs ahead of the high school build.
How Families Can Apply
Admissions for the 2027–2028 inaugural school year will run on a criteria-based application and lottery system. Henry County Schools lists priority applications due October 30, conditional review closing November 11, and acceptance notices going out December 9, with eligibility criteria weighing seventh-grade state mathematics scores and academic standing.
The project's funding fits into a much larger pattern of local school construction. Henry County voters first approved E-SPLOST in 1997 and have reauthorized six consecutive referendums since, generating more than $880 million that has financed 22 new schools along with ongoing safety and technology upgrades districtwide, according to Henry County Schools.
