County officials on Thursday unveiled a "bold new plan" for County School facilities that will focus on expansions of some current schools and consolidation of others.
Years 1-3 in the plan include:
- Expand Eastside and East Lake Elementary
- Replace Soddy Daisy Middle School and make a K-12 campus at the campus of Daisy Elementary and Soddy Daisy High School. Daisy Elementary would be dramatically expanded.
- Reinvest in Brainerd High School to make it a middle school/high school and closing Dalewood Middle School.
- Renovate the Gateway Building at the side of Cameron Hill for career and technical education. It was recently acquired from BlueCross for $10 million.
- Build an all-new elementary school in the heart of Hixson at the current Dupont Elementary. Officials said it would involve "consolidating three of the four small, aging schools (Alpine Crest, Dupont, Hixson and Rivermont) into one world class campus."
- Renovate the former Cigna campus across from East Brainerd Elementary into an expansion of that school
- Expand Thrasher Elementary on Signal Mountain to keep pace with growth
- Renovate schools in Lookout Valley
The plan recommends for years 4-7
- Expand magnet seats while finding a new location for Center for the Creative Arts that is in the old Chattanooga High School on Dallas Road. It says the school should be located downtown near the theater district. It calls for finding a new location for Normal Park Upper and Lower to increase seats there.
- Continue to explore co-locating middle-high schools and continue pursuing solutions to maximize usage of underutilized facilities like Woodmore Elementlary
- Modernize excellent, but aging, schools like Big Ridge Elementary, Hixson High, Central High, Ooltewah High and East Ridge High
- Invest proactively based on growth patterns, such as Hunter Middle School expanding to include high school if growth continues at Ooltewah/Harrison
County Mayor Weston Wamp said the initial moves can be done without a tax increase.
Supt. Justin Robertson said it will take time to carry out the moves and would not bring any immediate changes. He said once dirt starts moving that it takes some 18 months to build a school.
Officials will take public comment on the plan over the next two months. It was crafted by a working group that has been meeting over the past 11 months.
Officials said there will be a focus on use of tax funds from TIF's and PILOTs for school facilities, and said there should be a partnership with local firms like U.S. Express to bolster athletic facilities "and level the playing field between public and private schools." U.S. Express recently donated $2 million to turf two high school football fields.
County Mayor Weston Wamp said, “The collaboration of the working group resulted in a bold vision that will modernize school facilities across Hamilton County and improve the educational experience of every affected student and parent.
“For too long, the county has avoided making these tough decisions, leaving us with many aging and underutilized school facilities. If adopted, these recommendations would represent one of the boldest commitments to education in the history of Hamilton County, and would provide a principled roadmap for further investments in the future.
"The recommendations include examining more cost-effective construction processes, analyzing how the county can maximize current facilities and explore adaptive reuse of existing structures. The report is twofold; first, it maps out a vision for the next three years with recommended renovations, expansions, and replacements to schools across the district. The second phase, years 4-7, includes a consistent approach to continued modernization of facilities and planning for growth."
Supt. Justin Robertson said, “For many years, Hamilton County Schools has faced a facilities crisis. With a backlog of more than $1 billion in needed school maintenance and improvements, addressing this problem can no longer be left for future leaders to handle. The recommendations we are making today represent bold first steps toward providing all of our students and staff with learning environments that are safe, efficient, and welcoming. The confidence instilled in students who attend modern and dignified schools cannot be overstated.
“Bold actions can sometimes be difficult, but we are committed to working with our partners and stakeholders to accomplish what is best for kids and the community. We will do this through frank and honest discussions, open-minded listening, and focused collaboration. I look forward to our next steps as we work together to create the opportunities for all Hamilton County children to thrive and experience a future without limits.”
County Mayor Wamp said he will release a plan for funding the projects in the first three years. He said, "The Hamilton County Commission and School Board will play a vital role in putting these plans into action and ultimately voting to approve and secure financing."