The County School Board on Thursday approved a plan for the purchase of the former Cigna office building and 23 acres across from the new East Brainerd Elementary School.
Officials said County Mayor Jim Coppinger and County Commission members are in support of the county buying the property, then the schools converting it for school use.
No price was given on the purchase by the county.
Supt. Justin Robertson said it should cost about $7 million to $10 million to make the conversion for a school.
Several board members said the move would save millions on building a brand new school from scratch. A new elementary for Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts was put at $35 million, Dr. Robertson said.
The Cigna building already has a cafeteria as well as extensive parking.
The total property includes over 95 acres and the remainder will be developed by the purchaser, the Empire group from Atlanta.
The schools plan to tear down the current CSLA building "as soon as the kids come out of it" and hold onto the property that is on East Brainerd Road for school use in the future.