County school officials said there remains a need for new county school buildings, but there also should be a focus on over $200 million in needed repairs at current schools.
Board member Greg Martin suggested that the schools take a list of major repair needs to the County Commission that might be funded through bonds.
Supt. Rick Smith said the staff will draw up such a list of deferred maintenance, but he said there remains a need to build schools to keep up with enrollment increases. He said, "We grew 400 students this year. That's a new school. We will probably grow another 400 students next year."
Board Chairman Jonathan Welch said if the county would float bonds for big-ticket items like replacing heating and air systems, putting in new windows and making fire safety corrections that would take a big burden off the county school maintenance program. It gets $3 million per year from the county for maintenance needs.
It was noted that the county schools earlier spent $6.2 million to replace the heat and air system at Brainerd High School. The needs list includes $6.5 million HVAC items at the Center for Creative Arts (the old City High School on Dallas Road) and Orchard Knob Middle School.
Board members said they want to focus on fixing problem at academic buildings, not sports facilities. Board member Rhonda Thurman said the board in the past has not funded stadiums.
Supt. Smith said there are "a rather large number of outdoor field issues" including at East Ridge High, where the concrete stadium was condemned.
On academic building needs, board member George Ricks said, "We can't just continue to build new schools, but we have to take care of other school needs. I just feel bad for the schools that have not been repaired for a long time."
Karitsa Mosley, another board member, said there are still fire code violations in place that need to be fixed.
Supt. Smith said, even with the construction of about one new school a year, "We are still sitting on an average age per school of about 40 years. Many of them date back to the 50s."
School officials said plans are to add three new school nurses. They said more are actually needed. Lee McDade, assistant superintendent, said, "We are getting more children with critical health needs. We get more every day."
Supt. Smith said some of the nurses ride the buses with students with special health needs.
The school system now has some 60-70 nurses.