[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6348262,"mediaKeyId","2242950-404c5efe04e15ac6bd01a1e1b784b5ea","parentId",2242950,"title","Knox County board approves Mechanicsville–Lonsdale–Beaumont facilities plan after heated debate; amendment to preserve Beaumont-style magnet programming fails","audioSeconds",2354,"startMs",3481000,"endMs",5835000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2242950-404c5efe04e15ac6bd01a1e1b784b5ea&start=3481&end=5835","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2242950-404c5efe04e15ac6bd01a1e1b784b5ea/thumbnail_3481000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6348262/Tennessee/Knox-County-board-approves-MechanicsvilleLonsdaleBeaumont-facilities-plan-after-heated-debate-amendment-to-preserve-Beaumont-style-magnet-programming-fails","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348262-d5c1161e8127801b7f5eab42e624ed24/orig.mp4?Expires=1776170286&Signature=SPVziuUl144~VL5E1NaovrW6F2395rUdV54KA4-GO0mfroT7u9ypl0OThmoxe~Ig0vj0lr7Q843wVNcCafu9i5ofx0pizDrtVEs1F6MIAWwk~I4AREepfOtBbzVoqiag9jh-~V40fC4Dq-wBw6wnS9-2uruIj7i~2xqEKq8R-B~4wyfrMagTAerbuMxZtK0XJY~ZBfPBA9ZaEc2fxUdQ7Hb20IIcCkWvdjRHRObBRnb~316fbYfRO0Twt55A~axkKLE71JsSy1AxdIO2Ahbx10m~m4b-xuES6JXwdkdpKCrmmEzAUEInMltyANLcwOyhCnZegfRvlcS6WrZmxae2fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Knox County Schools","date","2025-02-06T19:44:53Z","article","The Knox County Board of Education voted to approve the Mechanicsville–Lonsdale–Beaumont schools plan proposal after an extended discussion of community concerns and a public comment urging a different site.

The approved motion, made by Reverend Butler and seconded by Miss Christie, directs staff to proceed with the plan as presented on the agenda; the roll call on the approved original motion produced seven votes in favor and one pass, so the motion carried. An amended motion by Miss Templeton — which would have approved the proposal while explicitly adding comparable magnet-type funding, dedicated transfer seats, an arts-integrated curriculum and honors opportunities — was seconded by Miss Pike and failed on roll call (three yes, four no, one pass).

Board members and staff debated the proposal for over an hour and a half, raising concerns about school size, equity and community engagement. Board member Miss Fontenot Ridley asked that the district postpone evaluation timelines and pushed for more community input; Miss Templeton and several other board members emphasized retaining programs that have drawn transfer requests, notably Beaumont’s arts-integrated magnet model. Opponents questioned whether merging multiple small neighborhood schools into a single, much larger facility would harm relationships and supports for disadvantaged students.

District staff told the board the planned facility size is based on projected enrollment and development patterns; in the discussion staff cited planning figures of roughly a 1,000-student elementary component and approximately 600 middle-school students for the consolidated campus. Staff also said design and program details would be developed through the design phase and brought back to the board for approval, and that zoning and feeder patterns would be created after site and design work to preserve ‘‘clean feeder patterns’’ and keep students within their zones.

Public comment included a speaker who urged the board to consider acquiring the Knoxville College property instead of the proposed rural high‑school site; the speaker provided a handout asserting the college debt could be purchased and the 54‑acre parcel redeveloped for a school. Several parents and community members spoke in favor of preserving Beaumont’s magnet features and transfer seats, saying arts integration and set‑aside transfer seats are integral to the school’s success and to family engagement.

Board members also confirmed the district held eight community meetings on the proposal; several board members described the meetings as accessible and available in multiple languages. Still, some trustees said the possibility of merging schools had not been emphasized in outreach materials and asked for more transparency about programmatic plans and impacts on students.

The amended proposal’s failure leaves the board’s approved motion in place; staff will continue with design and planning steps and return schematic designs and program details for future board review and approval. Several board members urged continued community engagement and pledged to advocate for program elements during the design phase.

Notes from the meeting:
- Motion to approve plan: mover Reverend Butler; second Miss Christie; outcome approved (7 yes, 0 no, 1 pass).
- Amendment to require magnet-type funding, dedicated transfer seats, arts-integrated curriculum and honors opportunities: mover Miss Templeton; second Miss Pike; outcome failed (3 yes, 4 no, 1 pass).
- A motion to table for additional information was made by Miss Fontenot Ridley but received no second and therefore did not proceed.

What happens next: staff will proceed to the design phase; schematic designs and programmatic details will be returned to the board for formal approval. District representatives said a principal for a new school is typically named about one year before opening so that principal can lead community engagement and program planning.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2/6/25 KCS BOE Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Knox County Board of Education voted to approve the Mechanicsville–Lonsdale–Beaumont schools plan proposal after extended debate and public comment.","taxTitle","Knox County, School Districts, Tennessee","taxId",13502,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348257,"Votes at a glance: Knox County Board of Education approves superintendent contract, multiple policies, grants and design actions",361,3171000,3532000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2242950-404c5efe04e15ac6bd01a1e1b784b5ea&start=3171&end=3532","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2242950-404c5efe04e15ac6bd01a1e1b784b5ea/thumbnail_3171000.jpg","/articles/6348257/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-Knox-County-Board-of-Education-approves-superintendent-contract-multiple-policies-grants-and-design-actions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348257-9b8dfb43f5c0bea751b1879edfb6912e/orig.mp4?Expires=1776170286&Signature=lo-jaxPDuU-vE0UvVOUs6iGKCmti6BsezHXu1bOzSNlJlpuBd8EL8dsg8~Y0tOuqyjK1R8hTlczCHuHP31hZ3emwYcZYWit-~wes1JZ1Gn5BAGlGyOg38ewBKNixgoKpAP7QoKOhLuInXpKUCXOu1ez2KJPdMwLciZSZ23BRS-rgW~DOEVDGp5Dq0R26P3~It4L5NHklDILQLjwrIe6v~yqxdBfgXmhDRY5AwyOBJzPlsvNmblLlAIRxMHByJKTla9ftsCJYhcG8zr4~TlE41SMpqg0NxmikAvkLSnLvZXVbIpsMGLLRzBWrFNfzYcEJ8PAPY1YUqsWU3GeHva6NxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Knox County Board of Education approved a slate of routine and substantive items at its Feb. 6 regular meeting, including the superintendent’s employment contract, several policy first readings, program grants and a contract increase for architectural services.

Key outcomes
- Superintendent employment contract (Item 6): Approved. Motion by Miss Christie, second by Miss Templeton; motion carried after voice vote.
- Consent agenda (Item 7): Approved by voice vote.
- Policy first readings (Items 8a–8e): Board approved first readings of multiple policy updates including fiscal management (D100), student transportation management (E170), private vehicles for transporting students (E173), new project planning (F150), and misbehaviors and disciplinary options (J191). All motions carried on voice votes.
- Grants (Items 9a–9b): Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant for Bearden Morris Elementary in the amount of $3,000 approved; Keep Knoxville Beautiful beautification grants totaling $3,250 for Cedar Bluff and Powell Middle Schools approved. Motions carried on voice votes.
- Contract amendment (Item 10a): Approved an increase to a design contract with Sparkman & Associates Architects, Inc., for additional services related to Lincoln Park Center (Newcomer Academy). Motion carried on voice vote.
- Budget and design actions (Items 11a–11b): Approved fiscal year 2025 general purpose budget line-item transfers for Oct. 1–Dec. 31, 2024, and approved the schematic design package for additions/partial renovations at Hawes Middle School by Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects. Both motions carried.

Items with additional debate
- Item 11c (Mechanicsville, Lonsdale, Beaumont schools plan proposal) produced extended discussion, an amendment and public comment; the amendment failed and the original motion was approved. (See separate article for full coverage.)

Procedural notes and clarifications
- Multiple items were approved by standard voice vote with “aye” and no roll-call tally recorded on the transcript; where roll-call totals were given they are noted in meeting records.
- A motion to table the Mechanicsville–Lonsdale–Beaumont proposal was made but received no second and therefore did not proceed.

What the board did not act on
- The board did not adopt any emergency policy or new legal authority at this meeting. Several community speakers at public forum raised issues (vouchers, ICE enforcement, school safety) but those remarks were part of public comment and did not result in board action during this session.","At its Feb. 6, 2025 regular session the Knox County Board of Education approved the superintendent’s employment contract and a series of first‑reading policy updates, grants and design actions. Most consent and business items passed without discussion; one high‑profile facilities plan prompted separate debate and is covered in a separate article.","actionData","errors"]

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Knox County board approves Mechanicsville–Lonsdale–Beaumont facilities plan after heated debate; amendment to preserve Beaumont-style magnet programming fails

Votes at a glance: Knox County Board of Education approves superintendent contract, multiple policies, grants and design actions