With the influx of a host of new residents associated with the $1 billion Volkswagen plant, the County Commission should brace itself for requests from the County Schools for "major, major school construction," Commissioner Warren Mackey said.
Commissioner Mackey, who heads the commission's education committee, said school officials are making plans for six new school buildings and numerous modifications to existing buildings.
He said, "If we started building right now, we would be behind."
Gary Waters, who oversees buildings for the county schools, said there is no cost figure yet on the needed expansion.
But he said elementary schools in the vicinity of the VW plant are already overcrowded and the brand-new East Hamilton Middle/High School is slated next year to have 1,890 students, though its capacity is only 1,650.
He noted that Ooltewah High School, which formerly was severely overcrowded, has 1,450 students and may drop to 1,250 next year. He said it could handle more students comfortably, but he declined to say that more students will be zoned to Ooltewah and away from East Hamilton.
Mr. Waters said school officials in the future may follow "the East Ridge pattern." He noted that when a new elementary school was built there that an older elementary was closed.
He said when new schools are built there may be simultaneous closing of older schools.
Commissioner Mackey said school officials need to keep in close communication with county officials so they will not be surprised when a request comes for a major building program.
Commissioner Fred Skillern said, "My school board member (Rhonda Thurman) does keep me informed - and the rest of the world, too."