CAMILLA, Ga. (WALB) — Mitchell County High School celebrated a $17.1 million renovation Tuesday, Aug. 18, unveiling a modernized campus.

Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting celebration coincided with the first year on campus for new Principal Anthony Brown.

The renovation, funded through Georgia’s Capital Outlay Program and built under a Guaranteed Maximum Price contract, totaled $17,157,213, according to district officials.

A now fully-functioning library

District leaders renovated Mitchell County High School’s library, giving the school a fully functioning library and media center for the first time in years.

“My instructional goal: read, write, think every single day in every single classroom,” Principal Brown said.

Mitchell County High School posted an overall school CCRPI score of 72.8 on the Georgia Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) dashboard.

The statewide high school average is 76.9.

Dr. Veronica Brown, the Mitchell County superintendent, said that these renovations will add to student success.

“Nothing was hindering their learning, but when you see the renovations, you will see that it allows us to expand the opportunities that we can provide for our students,” she said.

A 40+ year old building to replace or renovate

Dr. Brown said the school, more than 40 years old, qualified the district for state funding to rebuild or complete a modernization project.

“There was a lot of wear and tear in the building,” she said. “What the state does is give entitlement funds... either if you’re going to do a new build or if you’re going to do a modernization project.”

According to Georgia’s capital outlay program guidelines, state capital outlay entitlement funding for local school systems is tied to building age, with buildings 40 years old or older qualifying for state assistance toward replacement or renovation.

District leaders ultimately chose modernization over new construction, a decision Dr. Brown said was formed before she stepped into the role in 2024.

What was upgraded:

• New HVAC systems
• A full roof replacement
• Auditorium renovations
• Updated flooring throughout the building
• Expanded science labs—consolidated from six classrooms into four larger, code-compliant spaces
• Renovated special education classrooms
• ADA accessibility upgrades to bring the facility into compliance with current federal standards under the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which set minimum accessibility requirements for altered state and local government facilities, including public schools
• The new library and media center
• Upgrades to the College and Career Academy wing

When asked about long-term goals, district leaders pointed to community partnership and campus safety as top priorities.

“[We want] to have that solid partnership with our community,” she said. We hope to attract other families and retain our students because this project will actually set our district up for future growth.”

Principal Brown added that the students at Mitchell County High School deserve a renovation like this.

“When you’re in a great space... and you have all the technology that you need, you have no choice but to be successful,” he said. “I believe that our kids deserve that.”

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