DALTON, Ga. — City school system officials hope to occupy their new offices at City Hall by April.
School board members voted unanimously Monday night to make the move after months of negotiations with the city.
School Board Chairman Steve Williams said in a phone interview before the meeting that City Hall now will be a “one-stop shop” for city services.
“It just makes total sense,” he said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”
Dalton Mayor David Pennington said in a phone interview that he offered the school system space at City Hall about a year ago.
“We were looking for other governments that we could combine with to use the taxpayers’ funds most efficiently,” he said.
The school board will occupy roughly half of the 38,000-square-foot building and will have offices on the third and second floors, according to City Administrator Ty Ross.
School SuperintendentJim Hawkins said the school system will have much more space at City Hall.
Under the lease agreement, the school system and city will split utility and maintenance costs at City Hall, he said.
Dr. Hawkins said the school system pays between $30,000 and $50,000 annually for these costs at its current location at 100 S. Hamilton St. He said its share at City Hall will be similar.
“I think we will save some operating costs, but they will be relatively small,” he said. “The big one is the cost avoidance in the long term.”
Mr. Williams said the school board will avoid spending about $500,000 for a new roof at its current office. The building was constructed in 1912 and needs a lot of repair, he said.
A key part of the lease arrangement is that the city will trade its Municipal Court building at 501 W. Waugh St. for the school board’s current building. The building will continue as the court for now, Mr. Williams said.
The school system may build new administrative offices at the Waugh Street location several years in the future and the city hopes to secure grants to renovate the historic building on Hamilton Street, officials said.
Mr. Pennington said officials are exploring uses for the Hamilton Street building.