NEW MARKET, Tenn. — Monday night, parents at New Market Elementary School in Jefferson County sat in the cafeteria, hoping to get confusion cleared up about a plan that would mean their students would go to a different school.
Problems WBIR has reported at Jefferson Elementary School, including safety concerns, mold, and asbestos, have concerned parents and community members.
In an October school board meeting, Director of Schools Tommy Arnold presented a plan to move students from Jefferson Elementary School to New Market and Jefferson Middle School. Students at New Market would have to go to Rush Strong School and there would also be portable classrooms rented, costing $1.2 million.
Arnold explained the plan was developed considering many different factors, like populations of schools and available space, transportation and even sewer systems.
"This plan on paper is not what's best for New Market Elementary students," Arnold said. "My job is not to do what's always best for one community, but what's best for an entire district."
Arnold and Vice Chair of the Jefferson County School Board Doug Ibbetson answered parent's questions at the meeting.
One of the main points of confusion is when this plan would happen. Arnold said it would have to be if the school was unsafe during construction.
Ibbetson also explained to parents that there are no current conditions at Jefferson Elementary School that warrant it is not safe for students. WBIR has obtained asbestos, TOSHA and mold reports that say Jefferson Elementary School is up to code.
Parents at JES still claim their children are sick, and even if things are up to code, the school is still in need of repairs or a new facility.
The meeting on Monday was called by New Market Mayor Danny Whillock who also has a third grader at New Market.
"I guess the biggest thing that I was relieved to hear is the fact that this wasn't a plan that was an absolute," Whillock said. "I anticipate that we will be a lot more community involved in this and questions to be answered come January, as mentioned at the school board of when they would expect to have a decision made as to what will happen next."
Ibbetson said the school board is waiting on a cost estimate for renovations at Jefferson Elementary, which would be presented at a January school board meeting. This would help the board determine whether to renovate or build a new JES.
Some parents did have a sense of relief that some of their questions were answered and that no immediate change was happening anytime soon.
Chris Lowery has a Pre-K and a second-grade student at New Market. If the plan were to go into effect now, which leaders say is unlikely, pre-K would stay at New Market and his second grader would go to Rush Strong, splitting up his kids.
"This is our community," Lowery said. "My wife and I... We moved here specifically for this school. We have tons of friends. Everything's out here, and if we have to go out of town for school, that's, that's just beyond me. It blows my mind."
Parents like Melissa Webb said they understand the issues at Jefferson Elementary but they don't want it to impact students at New Market.
"We love it here," Webb said. "We want our kids and our teachers to stay here. I don't think it would be good for their grades either."