School Board members react to bond approval
A list of proposed school projects by funding under a $260 million bond. (Courtesy: Hamilton County Government)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The Hamilton County Commission approved a $260 million bond on Wednesday, with most of it designed to go to future school projects.
The list of school projects listed in the $260 million dollar bond approved by the commission looks slightly different than the list approved by the Hamilton County School Board in January.
This is prompting some concerns among some of the school board members.
School board member Ben Connor remarked, “This is that same dollar amount, but there are other items added to it, including deferred maintenance which is on our school budget, but only at a two million dollar amount, recreation investments, general government projects and wastewater investments have taken about $85 million of what we were told we were going to be bonded.”
This change in the bond amount has some wondering if their proposed new schools will still occur.
Last week, we reported that the plan to replace Clifton Hills Elementary in Alton Park was facing issues due to being in a floodplain, something that doesn’t make sense to that school’s board member Jill Black.
‘Clifton Hills is only slotted to receive $10-$20 million dollars for a renovation instead of a brand new school that was passed by this board… None of the other schools that were slated to be built new were downgraded to a renovation, and as the school board member for District 11 I am not okay with that,” said Black.
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp had mentioned at last week’s commission meeting that Soddy-Daisy Middle School would have to be a hybrid project due to space constraints.
Additionally, the temporary addition of office space at the proposed Gateway School while renovations at the county’s MLK Building are making some wonder when a school will actually go in that building.
“Part of what we passed in January was two pages about the proposal for CCA to move into the Gateway Building, and none of those included any other uses meaning, it wasn’t supposed to be office space for anybody else, it’s supposed to be a school for the arts. That, compounded with the fact that it’s already around $10 million dollars or more short of what it would be to even scratch the surface of what it take to create that school, we’re in a hole,” said Connor.
Connor also said he still opposes the new North River Elementary which would combine DuPont, Rivermont, and Alpine Crest Elementary Schools.
Others see positives in what the Commission approved.
School board member Gary Kuehn said, “The amount of money we’re going to get to actually use than we would have had if we did our own budget separate, so it’s very positive.”
Ultimately, The final list of these projects and when they can begin is up to the school board, who will have to up another vote on their school facilities plan.
