Jefferson County School Board approves $24 million renovation plan for Jefferson Elementary

The Jefferson County School Board voted to approve a renovation of Jefferson Elementary School with a total project cost cap of $24,000,000 and directed staff to solicit construction-management qualifications, the board said at a public meeting. The board also approved Blankenship and Partners as the renovation architect and renamed the existing reserve account to the "Jefferson Elementary renovation account."

The decision followed more than an hour of public comment in which parents, teachers, students and community members urged the board either to build a new school or to pause the renovation vote until health, safety and cost questions were answered. Those speakers raised concerns about asbestos, mold, plumbing and reported raw sewage at the 67-year-old building and said a remodel would disrupt learning. "Renovating an occupied school is considerably more risky for health and finances than building a good school," said Ken Wharton, a resident.

Parents and educators pressed the board to seek outside review from health and education authorities and to weigh long-term value. "I am here to request a delay in voting to send a renovation plan to county commission because there are still too many unanswered questions," said Sabrina Thomas, who identified herself as a retired elementary music teacher from Jefferson Elementary. Several speakers, including Pastor Major Treadway, cited a board estimate to build a new school of about $27,600,000 and said the district should pursue new construction rather than spend an estimated 86% of that amount on a remodel. "Repairs at 86% of the cost of new just do not make sense," said Pam Hester, a retired Jefferson Elementary teacher.

Board member Joe Edson moved to renovate Jefferson Elementary with a project limit not to exceed $23,600,000, funded with $3,000,000 from the Jefferson Elementary account, $8,500,000 from the district fund balance and a request for $12,500,000 from the county commission. Edson later amended the motion to set the total project cost at $24,000,000; the board approved the amendment by a 4-1 roll-call vote (Dawn yes; Doug yes; Paul yes; Bill no; Chair yes).

During discussion, Edson said structural engineers had deemed the building's foundation and walls sound and that almost every interior system would be replaced during renovation. "Virtually everything else after the renovation in that school will be new," Edson said, adding that remediation work would be scheduled when students were not in the building. Board member Bill questioned the figures and said the board had not previously received a definitive itemized remodeling cost. "I don't understand these figures that have been presented. We ask for to get a remodeling cost. We have never got a remodeling cost," Bill said.

On the final vote to approve the renovation motion as amended, the board recorded the following roll call: Dawn—no; Doug—yes; Paul—yes; Bill—no; Chair—yes. The motion passed, 3-2. The motion forwards the funding request to the Jefferson County Commission for consideration.

Following the renovation vote, the board approved a motion to rename the existing reserve account for Jefferson Elementary to the "Jefferson Elementary renovation account" (vote 4-1) and voted 4-1 to engage Blankenship and Partners as the renovation architect. The board also voted 4-1 to develop a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a construction-management firm to be used on the renovation project.

Speakers at the meeting repeatedly urged the board to seek review from state agencies. Thomas urged the board to contact the Tennessee Department of Health, the Office of Environmental Health, and the Department of Education legal office before forwarding a renovation plan to the county. Several parents described students' illnesses and said conditions at the school had affected attendance and learning; one student said the building had mold, raw sewage and nonworking bathroom fixtures.

Board members and some community supporters argued that a renovation could be completed faster than seeking county funds for a new building and that prolonged delay would leave students in the current building longer. "If we go to county commission, we're not gonna get the funding to do a new school," one board member said during discussion, noting prior denials.

Next steps documented at the meeting: the board will present a funding request to the Jefferson County Commission for $12,500,000 as part of the renovation plan; the district will rename the reserve account and transfer funds as approved; the board will contract Blankenship and Partners as architect and issue an RFQ to identify a construction-management firm. The meeting record includes a cost summary dated 02/19/2025 that the board received and discussed; board members said that document includes an added line for an owner's project representative.