Hamblen County officials hear students and staff praise enclosed-classroom project; superintendent says bond-funded work will finish early

Superintendent Arnold Bunch told the Hamblen County Education Committee on Feb. 9 that the $13.5 million bond the commission approved to enclose previously open classrooms produced bids lower than anticipated and the district now expects the work to finish by mid-April instead of the two years originally projected. "So you all approved a 13 and a half million dollar bond to get that started ... We now believe the project will be done either no later than probably mid April," Bunch said.

The meeting featured two videos and a series of in-person comments from students, teachers and school leaders from Lincoln Heights Middle School, John Hay and Meadowview. Principal Christiana Langhans and assistant principal Thompson Jones thanked commissioners for the classrooms and staff reported improved learning conditions. Multiple students described quieter learning spaces and better safety: "These rooms are just the best thing. We can, like, focus and learn," one student said; another said the single entrance to closed rooms "is really gonna help out quite a bit."

Bunch said district leaders also view the change as a safety improvement because each classroom now has a locking door and a single controlled entry, limiting access compared with the prior open-classroom layout. He also described the district's device policy: the system is operating 1-to-1 for students and is on a four-year technology refresh cycle so those devices are regularly replaced. "The ones that are definitely tied to the kids are the ones at high school... we do that for the whole time that they're at the high school," Bunch said.

School staff and students repeatedly credited the commission for approving funding and pushing the project forward. Bunch also said some funds saved from lower construction costs are being directed to additional school improvements, including potentially removing two modular units at John Hay. He distributed thank-you notes and a small token of appreciation to commissioners near the end of his remarks.

What happens next: Bunch and the schools will continue to implement final punch-list items and warranty paperwork; commissioners did not take further actions at the meeting beyond exchanging questions about device assignments and scheduling. The presentation closed after a brief Q&A and expressions of appreciation from teachers and students.