Fulton Offers Old Milton High To Gwinnett Tech

The old Milton High School building in Alpharetta could be the site for Gwinnett Tech's North Fulton campus if a proposal sent to the technical college's president goes beyond discussion.

Fulton Superintendent Cindy Loe sent a letter on Dec. 16 to Gwinnett Tech President Sharon Bartels to start discussion.

No one from Gwinnett Tech could be reached for comment because of the holiday. Fulton Schools spokesperson Susan Hale said the letter should only be considered as the first step to opening dialog on the idea.

Until late summer, North Fulton was part of the Lanier Tech service area. But local business executives and the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce lobbied the Technical College System of Georgia to put the area within Gwinnett Tech's service area, believing it better suited the needs of the community.

"The redevelopment of the former Milton HS site provides a unique opportunity in North Fulton for our mutual interests to align," Loe said in her letter. "The site is comprised of over 40 acres with an estimated land value in excess of $10 million."

Loe's proposal could lead to the transfer all or part of the 40-acre campus to Gwinnett Tech. The Fulton schools system would want the college to take full responsibility for the demolition of the building with its many additions. The age of the buildings could mean asbestos or other hazardous materials would have to be removed.

Independence High School, which serves non-traditional students, is housed within Milton Center.

Fulton Schools also would want a no-cost, long-term lease of classroom and office space within a Gwinnett Tech facility, and access and use of other on-site amenities such as parking, instruction space and public green space.

Loe suggested as Gwinnett Tech designed and started construction of a new building on the site, the college could use space in the former high school to open a college campus at a nominal cost.

Combined efforts of the school system and college could help both programs serve Fulton County students, Loe said. She acknowledged that private and other public efforts to improve the infrastructure on and off-site are expected.

Old Milton High, now known as Milton Center to the school system, could become available as Fulton creates the Fulton Institute of Technology (FIT) aimed at integrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Loe said in her letter that FIT "is a technical high school that fuses practical and virtual learning opportunities to create a technology-rich learning environment."

FIT is designed to offer students the opportunity to become college and career ready and offers dual enrollment opportunities.

"Gwinnett Technical College's proposal to locate a facility in Fulton County would provide FIT and all Fulton County students an opportunity to take advantage of dual enrollment opportunities as they seek to become more competitive for high tech and high wage jobs," Loe said in her letter.

Two FIT campuses exist in Fulton, one at Milton Center and the other at the Institutional Technology Center. Plans exist to add a FIT campus at the replacement Banneker High in South Fulton. Loe said the school system is considering demolition of old Milton High and construction of a new building on the site. That's where Loe said Gwinnett Tech could step in to build a location that both could share.

Loe said programs planned for FIT, such as Energy Systems, Digital Design Technology, Manufacturing, and CISCO, are aligned to programs that are available at Gwinnett Tech.