Howard Middle School and 21st Century Academy (K-12) will be closed as part of an aggressive cost-cutting strategy, Hamilton County Board of Education members decided Thursday.
The board also voted 9-0 to consolidate McBrien and East Ridge elementary schools. Students previously assigned to those two schools will instead attend a new 850-student school that officials want to build on the current East Ridge Elementary property on John Ross Road.
The new school, which officials estimate will cost about $20 million, could open as early as fall 2010, board members were told.
The decisions angered proponents of the affected schools, who had packed into Tyner Academy auditorium where Thursday’s meeting was held to make it clear they oppose the changes.
But school board members said their actions are dictated by economics.
“These are not the only schools that will be closed,” board chairman Kenny Smith declared after most of the crowd had left the meeting.
“By the middle of May I would like to have reports on all the other schools (considered for possible closure) and why they were not closed,” he told school administrators.
Dr. Jim Scales, school superintendent, said he understands there is widespread opposition to the changes in the affected communities. However, he noted, Hamilton County Department of Education can no longer afford to operate dilapidated and/or underutilized schools.
Although 21st Academy houses kindergarten through 12th grade, he noted, only 490 students attend the magnet school. Those students can switch to other magnet schools or to the schools to which they are zoned, board members said.
Howard Middle, Dr. Scales noted, has classrooms designed to hold elementary-age students that are too small for much larger students in sixth through eighth grades. Further, the building is dilapidated and the roof leaks.
These are not the last of the hard decisions they are going to have to make this year, Dr. Scales noted. He said the citizens advisory committee appointed to help devise a fiscally responsible master plan will begin meeting again in a couple of weeks.