County School board members are divided on whether to build a new elementary school to replace Alpine Crest, Rivermont and Dupont in Red Bank or Hixson.
Board members appeared to have a consensus on another planned school project - building a new Soddy Daisy Middle School at its current site, rather than adding onto Soddy Daisy High School for a 6-12 school.
At the close of a spirited facilities committee meeting on Thursday, Supt. Justin Robertson asked the board members to submit their individual priority list for seven new facility improvements.
He is requesting a vote by the school board on the list in two weeks, then it will be forwarded to the County Commission on projects totaling above $200 million.
The board considered whether the commission might dictate changes to some of the board priorities, but Supt. Robertson said he did not expect that to happen.
Commissioner Ben Connor argued for building a new elementary on current football practice fields at the campus for Red Bank Middle School and Red Bank High School, saying that idea is supported by the community and the Red Bank Commission.
However, Board Chairman Joe Smith said, "I don't like this plan a little bit. It just makes no sense. I'm angry about the plan and the way it was rolled out."
Chairman Smith said prior studies have pointed to building the school on the Dupont site on Hixson Pike. He said the new school would be "1.3 miles down the road from Red Bank Elementary and 500 yards as the crow flies." He also said, "Red Bank is not growing. Hixson is definitely growing."
Mr. Connor said part of the plan would be adding turf to the Red Bank High football field, that currently is used only for Friday night games. He said, "I think we've found the best option. It's a good idea."
Board member Rhonda Thurman said getting an elementary onto the site "would be an awfully tight fit," though board member Marco Perez said the plan could be approved and could always be abandoned later if too many obstacles arose.
Board member Larry Grohn said the idea was "definitely worthy of consideration," but he said the Red Bank Commission "didn't even want to discuss use of the old Red Bank Middle property (on Dayton Boulevard), so then we'll just make other plans."
On the Soddy Daisy issue, board member Thurman recommended that a new two-story middle school building be erected at the current baseball field. She said facilities director Justin Witt confirmed there was "plenty of room there for a new school." She said she believed the school could be built in the $29 million to $30 million range.
Ms. Thurman said, "With all the growth going on in Soddy Daisy, I can't see us walking away from this (36-acre) property."
Board member Gary Kuehn said, "I don't see Soddy as a 6-12 pattern."
The board briefly discussed the planned move of the Center for the Creative Arts into the Gateway Building on the Westside. Supt. Robertson said facilities would be designed there comparable or better than at the current facility on Dallas Road.