Knox County Schools on Friday, Sept. 10, held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new elementary school in Northwest Knox County.
The 124,000-square-foot building will have capacity for approximately 1,200 students and is expected to be completed prior to the fall semester of 2023. It will include:
- 56 classrooms;
- 3 teacher work areas;
- 2 special education classrooms and support spaces;
- 2 music rooms;
- 2 art rooms;
- a library;
- a 6,700-square-foot gymnasium with a stage; and
- an ICC-500 compliant storm shelter that will house approximately 1,320 occupants.
“Hardin Valley and Karns are growing rapidly, and a new elementary school is an important investment for the families who live in these communities,” said Superintendent Bob Thomas. “This state-of-the-art school building will help students in northwest Knox County achieve academic success and support the work of our outstanding educators.”
“Knox County is committed to creating opportunities for everyone to thrive in an engaged and vibrant community,” said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. “One of the ways we do that is ensuring that every child has access to a great education in a great school. This project is much-needed in the Hardin Valley and Karns communities and I’m glad that it is finally underway.”
The new school is estimated to cost $24.2 million and will be located at 10515 Coward Mill Road. The Christman Company is the contractor and The Lewis Group Architects is the architect.
“This is such an exciting time for our growing community,” said 6th District Board of Education representative Betsy Henderson. “Building a new school for us has been one of my top priorities on the Board, and even more important is building an amazing school culture to ensure our kids have a warm, welcoming place to learn. I look forward to celebrating a ribbon-cutting when this school opens in 2023.”
Rendering credit: The Lewis Group Architects
