Coffee County schools ask commission for roughly $69 million to rebuild Hickerson, expand East Coffee

Coffee County Schools leaders asked the county commission on Jan. 13 to consider funding a two-site capital program that would build a new Hickerson Elementary and add and renovate East Coffee Elementary to address overcrowding, safety and inequities in core spaces.

Scott Hargrove, director of schools, and Deputy Director Kelvin Shores presented a district facilities study and third-party enrollment projections by Harpeth Research. Shores said the work is the final phase of a long-term facilities plan that already produced new and renovated schools elsewhere in the district. “It is approximately $69,000,000,” Shores said when summarizing the combined estimate for a new Hickerson and additions/renovations at East Coffee.

Why it matters: the district said Hickerson is already operating at near-record enrollment and is using nonstandard rooms as classrooms; both Hickerson and East Coffee were flagged for undersized cafeterias, gyms, kitchens and office spaces. The study found Hickerson’s site is constrained by the Old Tullahoma Highway at the front of the campus, which creates traffic and pickup challenges that would need to be resolved in any expansion.

What the plan would do: district materials presented two main options — build a new four-section Hickerson or attempt an extensive addition/renovation, while East Coffee could be addressed by additions and interior remodeling. The presenters recommended sizing educational spaces to current standards, adding parking and addressing pick-up/drop-off patterns, and improving core areas for equity across elementary schools.

Numbers and timeline: the district’s slide deck and presenters showed historical project costs for context (examples cited: a 2010 Deerfield new building at $11,000,000; a 2019 North Coffee addition at $5,000,000). The district said the combined Hickerson/East Coffee estimate is about $69 million and that the buildings could open as soon as 2027 if funding, design and architecture work start quickly.

Funding and process: presenters said the district has a fund balance used for routine maintenance but is requesting the commission’s help to fund the full scope. The cost estimate came from the district’s architect/engineer (named in materials as Wold) using typical unit pricing; enrollment projections came from Harpeth Research. The presenters did not provide a procurement bid; one commissioner asked whether the figures had been put to bid, and the presenters said the estimate is based on the architects’ data and the projection consultant’s work.

Commission response and next steps: commissioners asked about taxpayer impacts and the district’s existing funds. Shores said the district would meet internally (board of education) to clarify how much of the total they would seek from the county. The commission did not vote on funding during the meeting; members were invited to tour Hickerson, East Coffee and New Union to see space differences and to follow up with questions by email.

The district supplied contact information for follow-up (email: shorsk@k12coffee.net). The commission’s action on any funding request was not taken at the Jan. 13 meeting.