There are approximately 46 thousand students enrolled in Forsyth County schools, and because so many students are overcrowding high schools, there has been plans to introducing a new school. This new school is due to be opened in Forsyth County in approximately three years  and will be named East Forsyth High School.

The Forsyth County News website confirms the development of the school, stating, “Forsyth County Board of Education members unanimously approved an $85 million bid from Carroll Daniel Construction to build East Forsyth High School, which is to be located off Jot Em Down Road and Claude Martin Drive and open in fall 2021.” Although the school is still being planned out, other high schools in the district are thrilled about the new school, including North Forsyth High School. North hopes for new opportunities which the promising school will offer. Extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs and even academic achievements might bring more attention to the growing town of Cumming. Because of this new competition in town, North students will be driven to succeed against new opponents.

Forsyth’s first high school, Forsyth Central, was built in 1955 and now faces overcrowding  as students grow in numbers, filling up classrooms. The need for a new school to be introduced has been a priority for the community as Forsyth County’s population grows into the high 200,000s. Denmark High School, which opened this year, is the most expensive school built in Forsyth County to date, costing approximately $72 million. However, East Forsyth is budgeted to cost $85 million. Because of the location picked for the school, excavation has to occur in order to get rid of the unnecessary rock before beginning construction on the building itself.

High schoolers enrolled at the moment will most likely not be transferred to East Forsyth because it would still be under construction by the time they graduate; however, current middle schoolers will potentially have the chance to experience Forsyth County’s new project, which was first brought up over a decade ago. Alvarito Pizano, a current seventh grader attending Little Mill Middle School, vocalized his opinion, stating, “I think it would be cool going to a new school where no one has gone before. People from other schools can transfer and make new friends.” However, a freshman named Miguel Gomez who currently attend North Forsyth High School was not pleased at the idea of transferring. “I would lose some of my friends who would still be going here. Since I’m not familiar with how the school layout would look like, it would take me time to learn the school building along with everyone else who is transferring there. I like it here best because I know my way around and I can finish pathways I know they have here at North.”

Whether students are pleased with the new school or not, it is always a positive move forward for growing cities like Cumming, where education is valued. Students in Forsyth County will thrive as long as there’s enough to go around. Constructing new schools around will cause major impacts moving ahead for the Department of Education as well as teachers and students alike.