County to fund school repairs, volunteer fire departments

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)- Hamilton County is set to fund 11 different school repair projects.

These will cost roughly two point three million dollars.

These range from roof repairs at Brainerd and Ooltewah High Schools, a new chiller at Howard School, and improvement to playgrounds at Thrasher among other projects.

These come from the Fiscal Year 2025 budget.

While school officials say this is a step to address the school system’s many infrastructure needs, commissioners like Joe Graham noted there any other needs not on the list including an issue he described at Lookout Valley Elementary School.

Commissioner Joe Graham recalled, “I was honestly in the office and the last was shaking her arm like this. And the other lady sitting beside her said, “Commissioner Graham look at that.” and I looked over and I said “What is that?” and it was the ceiling falling in where it had been leaking, and that stuff on the ceiling.”

This investment is unrelated to the recent two hundred and 60 million dollar bond approved by the county to build several new schools.

Additionally, volunteer fire departments across Hamilton County are about to get a much needed investment.

The Commission is set to approve three hundred thousand dollars to spread around VFD’s across the country. 

These will be spent on self-contained breathing apparatuses, rescue equipment, and medical supplies among other items.

Hamilton County EMS Director Chris Adams says this investment comes at a critical time for these agencies.

“One of the chiefs that approached me last week and talked about that this was grant season, and knowing that getting any additional funding will help them know which other grants to apply for. Something that is going to be taken care of through this, it makes a difference it what they’re going to apply for,” said Adams.

The Commission is expected to vote to approve this next week.