Hamblen County district confirms Lincoln Heights opening, Sherwood Park agreement and plans for roof repairs and bus hiring

Hamblen County school officials reported several operational and facilities updates at the meeting, including a signed facility-use agreement with the city for Sherwood Park, a ribbon-cutting and opening schedule for the new Lincoln Heights Elementary School, plans to close classrooms at two schools over a multi-year process, a roof-repair timeline for Russellville Intermediate and an ongoing shortage of bus drivers.

Facility use and Lincoln Heights opening: the presenting board member said the district has signed a facility-use agreement with the city that assigns maintenance responsibility for Sherwood Park to East (August through May) and returns maintenance to the city in June and July. A ribbon-cutting for Lincoln Heights Elementary School is planned for next Tuesday at 9 a.m., the board member said, and teachers have started moving in. The presenter said Lincoln Heights Elementary School will be the only district school with a virtual day on the 21st to allow staff to complete move-in and set-up; classes are scheduled to begin the following day.

Classroom closures and maintenance: the district reported plans to close classrooms at Meadowview and Lincoln Heights, describing the work as a multi-year process the district hopes to start this summer. On roofing, the presenter said Russellville Intermediate received a temporary repair after last year’s storms and that a full roof replacement had originally been scheduled for 2027. District staff are reportedly considering combining two existing bids to reduce cost and take a more cost-effective approach; the presenter emphasized that staff believe students are safe and not in danger.

Staffing and upcoming events: the presenter said the district remained five bus drivers short and urged community members to refer potential drivers to Human Resources. The Future Ready Expo planned for the following day was described as having originally expected more than 2,400 students from multiple districts, but attendance projections decreased because some districts closed for snow days; the presenter said "over 990 industries or companies" were expected to attend.

Other routine items: the presenter said video recording equipment installation was delayed while maintenance staff finished work at Lincoln Heights. Consent agenda items such as overnight field trips, emergency purchases and capital projects were approved during the meeting.

The presenter characterized the meeting as relatively quick and said the district will coordinate next steps for classroom closures and roof repairs with board members and staff.