County Commissioner David Sharpe (District 6) and Hamilton County School Board Member Ben Conner (District 6) on Tuesday recommended building a new elementary school for Red Bank at the current campus of Red Bank Middle and Red Bank High.
School Board Chairman Joe Smith said he disagrees, saying he still favors a new elementary school at the Dupont site in Hixson. He said, "Building a beautiful new school on that site still makes the most sense to this board member."
They said the plan "is supported by Red Bank community leaders and has been deemed viable by the Hamilton County Schools administration."
Commissioner Sharpe and School Board Member Connor touted the proposal as putting Red Bank students first and as prioritizing a community-oriented educational experience, while also addressing long-standing school facilities issues. Commissioner Sharpe contrasted the alternative proposal with the one previously introduced by County Mayor Weston Wamp.
“Unlike the county mayor's scheme to remove all elementary schools from Red Bank, this proposal keeps our students and our educational opportunities within the city limits,” said Commissioner Sharpe. “This proposal addresses the concerns of the community and offers a quality, viable option that puts kids’ needs above everything else.”
Mr. Connor, who worked alongside members of the Red Bank community to formulate an alternative option to meet the needs of the community, said, “Over the last several months, we have heard loud and clear the disapproval of any plan that would send Red Bank students outside of city limits for their elementary school experience. As a father and an active parent, I'm troubled at the prospect of placing young kids into mega-schools, rather than a quality educational experience that gives them the support and attention they need to grow and thrive. This plan does that and then some.”
He said the plan "has been determined to be not only financially feasible, but more cost-effective than the previous scheme introduced by the county mayor."
The final costs are to be determined following additional study by the Hamilton County Schools administration and the final results of the bid process, which can begin as soon as the beginning of the new year, it was stated.
Red Bank Mayor Hollie Berry, also in attendance at Tuesday's press conference, added her thoughts about the new proposal along with Mr. Connor and Commissioner Sharpe.
“I am so grateful that the idea of co-locating an elementary school on the Red Bank High School and Middle campus that was presented to by city staff at a Dec. 5 meeting has risen to the top as the most viable and mutually beneficial of many options explored,” said Mayor Berry. “This plan, which was supported in our resolution presented to the school board on Dec. 13, could provide numerous spin-off benefits and educational opportunities for our Red Bank students, as well as fulfill the several goals expressed by our residents of maintaining the Red Bank feeder pattern, consolidating only two of our current zone schools rather than three, and maintaining an elementary school in our city limits.”