Schools in Henry County are on Christmas break, but Christmas for the Board of Education could come in about three months.

  The latest extension of the E-SPLOST will be on the ballot in March. District officials at the December 14 school board meeting presented their $300 million-plus wish list, hoping the voters will come through like Santa for the sixth time. The original E-SPLOST passed in 1996, as has every extension since then.

  Months of planning have gone into the most recent project list, with various community engagement initiatives as well as a capacity and growth assessment of district facilities conducted by an outside organization. The project list is tentatively set for final board consideration at the January 11 regular meeting.

  The biggest recommended capital projects include two new elementary schools. One would be in the Willow Lane corridor between Oakland and Wesley Lakes schools, and the other in the Wolf Creek area between Locust Grove and Unity Grove school. The district already owns land to construct these facilities.

  Also proposed at a site to be determined is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) high school in partnership with Piedmont Henry Hospital. Advanced classes at this school would focus on health care, biomedical science and biotechnology.

  According to a classroom utilization study that began in October of 2019 with an outside group, the district is currently at a 69 percent utilization rate overall. That is expected to rise to 74 percent by 2030.

  Whereas more than 600 trailers were in use by students by in the early 2000s, officials say that number has dropped to 48 because of projects taken on and completed during recent E-SPLOST campaigns. If approved the newest E-SPLOST would allow for the elimination of trailers, according to officials.

  But a number of schools in their current configuration are expected to reach capacity before too long. Classroom additions are recommended for Dutchtown Middle, Dutchtown High, Ola Middle, Ola High, Locust Grove High, and Union Grove Middle. All of these campuses are projected to be at 90 percent capacity in 5-10 years, with Dutchtown High expect to reach 101 percent during that time.

  All of these facilities were initially designed to accommodate future additions. And while expansion projects like this often are not easy for current students and faculty to live with, officials pointed out that the easy solution for schools like Dutchtown High would be to simply redraw the district lines and send some students elsewhere, which no one wants.

  A wide assortment of classroom resources, equipment and supplies have been included on the proposed project list along with numerous technology replacements and upgrades as well as structural enhancements. The latter category includes security access control for all schools; electronic message signs for all schools; exterior modifications at Fairview Elementary; a new administrative building and renovation of the existing one; a new transportation facility and renovation of the existing one; a bus replacement plan; playground enhancement for all elementary schools; land purchases for future growth; roofing replacement at 10 schools; HVAC replacement at eight schools; fire alarm upgrades at 14 schools; intercom replacement at 23 schools; and energy management enhancements at 15 schools.