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Glencliff students press council to fund building survey and repairs after decades on replacement list
Summary
A Glencliff High School student described leaking ceilings, HVAC failures, mold concerns and pest problems and urged city leaders to allocate funds for a building assessment and next steps after the school has been on the replacement list for roughly 20 years.
A Glencliff High School student told Metro Nashville leaders Thursday that the school has suffered long‑standing building problems — leaking ceilings, recurrent HVAC failures, dusty vents, pest issues and water damage — and urged officials to authorize a professional assessment and prioritize repairs.
“Leaking ceilings, broken HVAC system, and outdated infrastructure are more than just inconveniences,” student Penn Havener said. The student said two anonymous teachers reported persistent deterioration and that similar buildings renovated elsewhere yielded asbestos findings, underscoring the need for a formal survey.
Student testimony detailed health and safety concerns, including dust buildup in vents that worsens asthma and uneven indoor temperatures that disrupt learning. The student asked for an allocation of funds to conduct a comprehensive assessment over the summer and to plan for strip‑and‑replacement of outdated systems such as HVAC and ventilation.
Council members responded with concern. Councilmember Welch said she had toured Glencliff with the mayor and state representatives and found the building’s bathrooms, locker rooms and gymnasium in poor condition, and that the school repeatedly appears on but is bumped down the Capital Improvement Budget replacement list. She urged colleagues to add Glencliff back to the CIB list and press for funding; Welch apologized to students for the conditions and said the city needs to allocate more consistent dollars.
No binding funding decision was made at the session; council members said they would press colleagues and relevant offices to prioritize Glencliff in the next CIB cycle and to commission an assessment.
Students emphasized that while a full replacement may be politically and financially unrealistic in the immediate term, a targeted survey and repairs would allow the district to budget for remedial work and reduce immediate health risks.
