Lawrenceville’s Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett has been hoping for a new building to give their students a better environment to learn, and their wishes are coming true.

On August 27, 2019 they broke ground for a historic school expansion. The new facility will be built on its 7-acre property on Davis Road in Lawrenceville.

The school currently operates out of two aging homes and two temporary classroom trailers that have a total maximum capacity of 50 students. The school is currently over capacity with 75 students. The ground-breaking marks the beginning of the second phase of a four-phase development plan.

Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett opened its doors 30 years ago. When it first launched, the school was comprised of a paint closet and four students. It upgraded to its current facility, but again is growing out of its space.

The project will be completed in four phases. The first phase was completed in January 2018, with the construction of a sewer line to replace the existing septic tanks.

The second phase will include the construction of a school building that houses 7 classrooms, two therapy rooms, offices, lunchroom, and lobby/reception area as well as site work, parking, design costs, retention pond expansion, and the renovation of an existing building for a Young Adult program. This phase will increase the school’s capacity to 80 students and is expected to be completed at the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

The school is also planning a third phase of construction that will include the addition of 14 classrooms to increase capacity from 80 to 200 students as well as a lunchroom expansion, two white calming rooms, and covered walkways that will connect the Phase Two buildings to the Phase Three buildings.

Phase Four will include constructing a multipurpose building and activities room that will accommodate therapy treatment, physical education activities, school program activities, and community events.

Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US, the exclusive provider of Zoned Comfort Solutions and a leading supplier of Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heating and cooling systems, joined the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett at the official groundbreaking ceremony. Mark Kuntz, CEO for Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US, along with several other METUS executives and employees, were on hand.

“We’re beyond thrilled to witness a new beginning for the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett,” said Kuntz. “We’ve been huge supporters for quite some time and are pleased to help the organization move into an all-new facility that will better support the needs of the students and the dedicated staff that serve them.”

To learn more about Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett, watch this video about the school and its expansion, or visit www.specialneedsschools.org.

For more information on Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US, visit www.metahvac.com.

(Thanks to Gwinnett Magazine for providing some of the copy to this story.)