New Centertown School design gets approval
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Architect Derrick Clemow, of Upland Design Group, presented the plans which were drawn up with input from both board members and school faculty.
With purchasing land in the works and a preliminary design in place, School Board chairman Larry Judkins says the board has met its obligations.
“We’re about as far as we can go as far as the School Board is concerned,” Judkins said. “It will be up to the County Commission, starting with the Education Committee, to fund the project. I think we’ve done everything they asked us to do and I think the ball’s in their court now.”
Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale said approving the plans should move the project along to its next phase.
“It’s another step in the process and a very important one,” Hale said. “All the significant players in the group seem to be in agreement that we’ve come upon a plan that is feasible, workable and, of course, can be done within a respectable budget. I think it’s good. I feel good about it. I know the Centertown community is really anxious. They’ve waited a long time and it looks like we’re a step closer to fruition.”
The approved design provides a pre-school through eighth grade building with a core capacity of 650 students. If the project is funded in a timely manner, at the expected completion and occupation date of fall 2007, student enrollment is estimated to be around 550 students. This extra capacity allows the school to comfortably handle growth in all the grades without crowding core functions such as cafeteria, gymnasium, library, etc., according to designers.
The site has 32 acres with its main access from Nashville Highway and a secondary entrance from Charlie Turner Road. Space is allotted for a softball field, future multi-purpose field, fenced playground area, upper-grade play area, and future classroom expansions on both classroom wings.
Set in a T-shape, the 71,200-square-foot building divides different functions into different areas. Lower grades (pre-k through third) are set in one wing, while fourth through eighth are set in another. The third leg of the “T” houses the common areas that include cafeteria, and its corresponding kitchen, gymnasium with locker rooms, and a multi-purpose room. The gymnasium and the multipurpose room are connected by a stage area that can be utilized by both spaces depending on the size of the function.
Administration is located at the heart of the facility where the three wings connect. This gives administrators a central location for quick responses to disturbances. All visitors must enter through the reception area of the administration block to protect the children from unauthorized visitors. The various wings can also be closed to allow limited access during after-hours uses, including basketball games, plays, and other activities.
The County Commission’s Education Committee is scheduled to meet this Wednesday, June 29 at 4 p.m. If the committee approves the preliminary plans, more detailed plans will be started and the finished design should be ready to present to the full County Commission for approval and funding at its next meeting in August.
The school at a glance
Capacity: 650 students
Square footage: 71,200
Estimated completion date: Fall, 2007
Acres: 32
Location: About 2 miles closer to town than current school