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Smyrna superintendent urges voters to approve March 9 referendum to advance three school projects and services
Summary
Susan Brown, superintendent of the Smyrna School District, asked residents to back a March 9, 2024 capital-and-operating referendum that she said will match state funding and advance a new intermediate school, conversion of Clayton Intermediate to a middle school, and expansion of North Elementary; she also cited rising costs since a 2021 referendum.
Susan Brown, superintendent of the Smyrna School District, urged community members to support a March 9, 2024 capital-and-operating referendum that the district says is needed to complete previously planned construction and expand services.
Brown said the district passed a referendum in 2021 that “laid the foundation for the future of our district,” but that higher construction costs have affected the ability to finish projects "as initially envisioned." She asked stakeholders to act as partners in the campaign and called the upcoming vote essential to matching state funding and advancing district plans.
The referendum, Brown said, would fund three capital projects: a new intermediate school on Rabbit Chase Road; the conversion and expansion of Clayton Intermediate School into Clayton Middle School; and an expansion of North Elementary. She described those projects as intended to provide an improved learning environment for students across the district.
Brown also described services the referendum would support, saying it would allow the district to "recruit and hire constables in every school building," provide "crucial mental health support in every school building," maintain "competitive salaries for our dedicated staff," and "enhance our Cutting Edge instructional technology." The transcript uses the term "constables"; the district should be asked to confirm whether that term refers to a specific security assignment or a different staff role.
On programming, Brown said the measure would support a "rich tapestry of extracurricular activities" for students at the new Clayton Middle School.
Brown closed by urging residents to vote on March 9 and to follow district communications for campaign updates: "let your vote be the voice that resonates through the halls of our schools," she said, and directed listeners to the district website and Facebook for more information.
The address did not include dollar amounts, a detailed funding breakdown, or a specific ballot question text; those items were not specified in the remarks and should be confirmed with district materials before publication.
