Birmingham City Schools Board of Education is moving to a new headquarters at 2101 6th Ave. North, a block from the current headquarters they sold in 2024.

The board bought the new building for $7 million after selling the old headquarters for about $5 million.

On Tuesday during a special called board meeting, the board voted to approve an additional $19 million to go toward getting the new office ready for move in. The relocation project is projected to be completed in May 2026 and will include refurnishing offices, building out an auditorium and upgrading the building’s electrical and technology.

“I feel as though if we want to have a world class education system and provide a world class education to our children, leadership matters,” Board President Jason Meadows told AL.com. “At some point we will have to recruit new people, and if you want the best and brightest, then if they come and walk through your facilities, I think it shows who you are, and it speaks before you say a word.”

The Birmingham Board of Education has been headquartered in its current building since the 1950s, during the time of Jim Crow. Board members say it is long due for a change.

“I’m excited about the relocation. I think that as the city of Birmingham is moving forward, I also think that our education department should move forward,” District 2 Board Member Neonta Williams said. “I think it supports the mental health and wellness of the employees that work in the district.”

While board members said the relocation costs were a weighty decision, they believe the relocation will make their work more efficient.

“I think it’s a game changer, because it gives it an opportunity for all of our departments to come in and collaborate. We don’t have to have a duplication of services. We don’t have to have three different buildings where we’re paying electricity, gas, water. We can have it all under one umbrella,” Superintendent Mark Sullivan said.