Except for seven years when my husband was in the Air Force, I have been a lifelong resident of Red Bank. My husband and I attended all RB schools, and I taught at RBHS for 15 years. We sent our two children to Alpine Crest, RBMS, and RBHS, and we love our little city. We are invested in this community.
I am presently extremely concerned about the possibility of losing our only elementary school. HCDE has proposed closing Alpine Crest Elementary School and combining four local elementary schools into one mega school on the DuPont Elementary property, which is a manufacturing/high traffic area not conducive to a large elementary school. I think that this option would be a horrible decision. I also realize that Alpine Crest facilities are in horrible shape: not handicapped accessible; possible asbestos problems; a roof, windows, and heating units that need to be replaced; and other structural problems.
First, after spending 33 years as a classroom teacher, I do not believe that bigger is better. Children do better in smaller environments. That’s why tests scores are higher and families/kids feel safer in smaller environments. Money should not be the only deciding factor whether Alpine Crest merges with three other elementary schools (Hixson, DuPont and Rivermont) or with one other elementary school (Rivermont).
Second, if HCDE and RB Commissioners decide to close the only elementary school in the city of Red Bank, fewer young families will move or buy homes here, which will be detrimental to Red Bank Middle and Red Bank High, both of which have experienced drastic changes and lowered school populations in recent years.
Third, within the city of RB are two properties that would be perfect for a combining Alpine Crest Elementary and Rivermont Elementary School: the old White Oak Elementary property near the Duck Pond (which the county already owns) and the old RBMS/RBHS property on Dayton Boulevard.
Both of these properties include ample space and would allow an elementary school to remain within the city limits of Red Bank. The White Oak site would be easily accessible to Rivermont, Red Bank and North Chattanooga children. Even better though, the old middle/high school property is centrally located, has able space, is practically flat, is easily accessible, and could be a focal point of our community that has been steadily growing for the past 10 years. My understanding is that, at a recent meeting, officials from the HCDE made an offer for the city of RB to swap the old middle/high school property for Alpine Crest Elementary and the surrounding property.
My hope is that the leadership in Red Bank will abandon their plans to turn the old middle/high school property into a mega park/ butterfly preserve, that they will find another place for those plans, that they will put the RB kids and community first, that they will accept a good faith offer from the HCDE on the middle/high school property, and that a new Red Bank Elementary will be built either on Dayton Boulevard or at near the Duck Pond.
Link Sparks