Public, private institutions of learning growing, becoming more specialized
Photo by Michael Patrick
The new Hardin Valley Academy can be seen along with Hardin Valley Elementary School, in left background. The new high school will be operational in August.
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A booming Knox County population has translated into a boon for private and public schools that are now in the midst of expansion or new construction to accommodate growing student numbers in kindergarten through 12th grade.
In 2007, many private and faith-based schools began - and some completed - multimillion-dollar additions.
The list includes the Annoor Academy of Knoxville, an Islamic school, Webb School of Knoxville and the Episcopal School of Knoxville, which plans to complete its $1.75 million, 12,600-square-foot middle school expansion in May, according to Alan Griswold, superintendent of buildings and grounds.
For parents seeking the best possible education for their children, an attractive part of private schools include smaller class sizes and faculty-to-student ratio, said Griswold, whose children have attended Knoxville Catholic High School.
Other private institutions such as St. Joseph Catholic School, a parochial K-8 school in North Knoxville, are fundraising. St. Joseph Principal Aurelia Montgomery said the school is in the middle of a $4.6 million capital campaign to build a middle school gym, science and technology labs, a chapel and a soccer field. First phase of construction is slated to begin during the 2008-09 school year.
In Knox County, public school officials also have seen student growth.
In an effort to relieve crowding, the Knox County school board last summer approved a rezoning plan that affected most of the county's 12 high schools.
A new West Knox County high school, Hardin Valley Academy, which is currently under construction, will be operational in August and draw students primarily from Karns, Farragut and Bearden high schools.
In February 2007, school officials also opened a new Gibbs Elementary School in Northeast Knox County. The school will accommodate up to 1,000 students, said Doug Dillingham, Knox County Schools supervisor of facilities and new construction.
Previously, "we were having to move modular classrooms in almost annually to house the growth," he said.
The district is also continuing work on the next phase of Cedar Bluff Elementary School in West Knoxville and an addition/renovation for Powell Middle School in North Knox County, Dillingham said.
In other major changes, the Knox County school board is interviewing superintendent candidates and plans to have a chief on contract by late spring. The new director of schools will replace former Superintendent Charles Lindsey, whose contract the board bought in February 2007. Deputy Superintendent Roy Mullins became interim superintendent.
Three high schools in August will open with full academies with a focus on small learning communities.
Hardin Valley's academies would be housed in four "neighborhoods" that will bear the names of four philosophers: Aristotle (science, technology, engineering and mathematics); Hippocrates (health sciences); Socrates (law, business and public affairs); and Plato (liberal arts).
Austin-East Performing Arts and Sciences Magnet High School and Fulton High School, in East and North Knoxville, respectively, are revamping programming under mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Austin-East will have three academic "neighborhoods": early college, in which students can graduate with a diploma and up to 60 college credits; entrepreneurial and innovations, in which students will have a chance to apply classroom knowledge in internships and service learning; and performing and visual arts, which would include vocational courses.
Fulton's plan has four academies - stand-alone schools that would have their own floors and adopt professional dress codes to identify students with their schools.
The schools are Freshman Experience, School of Communication, School of Liberal Arts and School of Health Science.
Lola Alapo may be reached at 865-342-6376.
© 2010, Knoxville News Sentinel
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