Catoosa Acquires 36 Acres for New Elementary School
By Beverly A. Carroll, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.
Sep. 13–RINGGOLD, Ga. — While construction at Ringgold High School and on the new Heritage High School is on schedule for completion next year, Catoosa County schools officials are already discussing more new construction, one official said.
“We have purchased land for a new elementary school, and we are looking at the possibility of needing another middle school,” said Damon Raines, director of operations for Catoosa County Schools.
Board of Education chairman Don Dycus said there are no immediate plans for a new elementary. The district has done a good job of keeping slightly abreast of growth, he said.
“We know we will need a new elementary school. It’s just a matter of when,” Mr. Dycus said. “The whole Graysville area is continuing to grow, and when the property became available, it was a good idea to get it.”
The 36-acre site is at 617 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road. Schools officials paid $899,250 for the tract.
“It’s a gently sloping lot that is ideal for a K-2 and a 3-5 configuration, which is want we are looking at,” he said. “We would build two separate buildings, on opposite ends of the property.”
Mr. Dycus said that at some point the district may have to consider building another middle school.
Meanwhile, officials are looking forward to opening Heritage High School to alleviate crowding at the county’s other two high schools.
And, workers are adding administrative offices to Ringgold High School; the work is expected to be complete in May 2008, Mr. Raines said.
“That job was a 300-day contract, and it should be finished about the middle of May,” Mr. Raines said. “That should give administrators plenty of time to get moved in, get things out of storage and settled before school starts in 2008.”
In addition to administrative offices, the project includes an auxiliary gymnasium, he said.
The $2.8 million renovation project is being funded by a five-year education special purpose local option sales tax, or E-SPLOST, that ended in June. Voters earlier this year approved another E-SPLOST to fund the new, $41.6 million Heritage High School and a list of other school construction projects.
E-mail Beverly A. Carroll at bcarroll@timesfreepress.com
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