School Board Still In Search of Property to Build New Elementary School

August 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Although the Board of Education months ago settled on the model for a new Pre-Kindergarten to 2^nd grade school to replace Smithville Elementary it has not yet nailed down just where to build it.

Initial plans were to place the new 98,000 square foot school on the same property with Northside Elementary but the board’s architect, Upland Design Group suggested that it might be a tight fit unless adjacent land could be acquired and while the Director of Schools and Board members have had discussions with the neighboring landowner they have not come to terms with him.

The Board is now requesting any other landowner in Smithville to come forward with a proposal if he or she has property for sale.

During Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Board of Education, at the suggestion of the architect, voted to post notices requesting sealed proposals for the purchase of 25-30 acres of property in Smithville for a new elementary school once the general terms and the deadline for receiving bids are established.

Such proposals would not only have to be reviewed by the Board of Education but also by the County Commission’s Purchasing Committee.

Smithville Elementary School, originally built in 1958, now is 70,557 square feet in size, and has a current enrollment of 561 students. The proposed new school would accomodate 800 students. The cost to build a new school of this size is expected to be at least $19 million.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation also requires a traffic study be done anytime a new school is built near a state highway. Findings of that study as it relates to increased traffic flow and congestion is also a consideration.

Once the board finds a suitable site, it is expected to present a construction plan to the county commission for approval of funding through either a note or bond issue.

August 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

For several years the DeKalb County School District has maintained a closed door policy to any students from other counties wishing to enroll in either of the five schools here except for those whose parents are employed by the school system 

But that closed door policy may soon change. 

During Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Board of Education adopted on first reading an amendment to the existing policy to allow non-resident students to apply for admission to DeKalb County Schools subject to approval of the Director of Schools and payment of a $750 per semester tuition per student. 

Out-of-district students with parents who are employees of the system would still be allowed to attend DeKalb County Schools.

Students who transfer to another school district or who become residents of the school system shall be refunded any unused portion of the tuition on a pro-rata basis.  

When payment is not made on all or any part of the required tuition for a previous year, the student(s) shall be excluded from future attendance until all prior and current tuition is paid.  

The Board will act on the policy amendment on second and final reading at the next meeting in September.

August 8, 2019
By:

The DeKalb County Health Department recently participated in the Red Sand Project. The Red Sand Project is artwork created by Molly Gochman that uses sidewalk interventions and earthwork installations to create opportunities for people to question, connect and take action against vulnerabilities that can lead to human trafficking and exploitation.

Participants simply fill a sidewalk crack with red sand and then document their sidewalk transformation on social media using #RedSandProject. The DeKalb County Courthouse was the location for the 2019 Red Sand Project.

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Human Trafficking is the second-fastest growing criminal industry, just behind Drug Trafficking. In the United States, on average, every two minutes, a child is bought or sold for sex with the average age being 13.

For more information on Human Trafficking, please contact Megan Kinslow, Health Educator at 615-597-7599 or Megan.Kinslow@tn.gov. You may also visit the TBI website at https://www.tn.gov/tbi/crime-issues/crime-issues/human-trafficking.html or the Red Sand Project at https://redsandproject.org/.##