County School officials on Wednesday asked the County Commission for help in expediting a new Tyner High/Middle School to replace the current crumbling facilities.
Deputy Supt. Dr. Justin Robertson said it is planned to use $25 million in federal ESSER III (COVID relief) funds for the project. But he said there is a deadline to have students in the new building by August 2024.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger noted, "It will take a year for the architect to draw up the plans and two years to build it, so we are right there."
He said it had not been planned to have another schools bond issue this soon, but he indicated county officials will see what help can be given.
Justin Witt, who is in charge of school buildings, agreed with Commissioner Tim Boyd that the project may cost from $65 million to $75 million. That would leave the county having to come up with $40 million to $50 million.
Constructing a new school at East Hamilton two years ago cost $45 million, but "with the current market and complexities it (Tyner cost) is hard to nail down," the commissioners were told.
Dr. Robertson said it is planned to use $5 million of the new COVID funds to complete the move of CSLA to the Lakesite campus.
Three Tyner students told commission members they are going to school in "condemnable conditions." They said a new school had been promised in 2017 and was suppose to have been ready last year.
County officials said they had approved funds that were due to include the new Tyner school. However, school officials found that the earlier plan of reworking the existing Tyner buildings was not feasible. The plan now is to tear down the existing Tyner buildings as soon as the new school is finished.
One section of the building has had to be closed off due to a partial collapse in one area.
An analysis of school buildings in the MGT report put CSLA in the worst condition and Tyner next.