KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Knox County Schools will break ground on two new buildings Monday.
Both buildings will be replacement schools for Lonsdale Elementary and Adrian Burnett Elementary.
The groundbreaking ceremony at Adrian Burnett starts at 11 a.m. and the Lonsdale ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m.
The school replacements are part of a five-year Capital Improvement Plan approved by the school board.
Adrian Adrian Burnett Elementary
According to a press release, the 94,000-square-foot building will have a capacity for approximately 800 students and is expected to be completed prior to the fall semester of 2022.
The building will include:
- 34 classrooms
- Four teacher work areas
- Two special education classroom suites
- A music room
- An art room
- A library
- A 7,100-square foot gymnasium
- A storm shelter that will house approximately 935 occupants
The replacement school is estimated to cost $19,945,000 and will be located on the existing campus at 4531 Brown Gap Road.
Lonsdale Elementary
KCS officials said the 94,400-square-foot building will have a capacity for approximately 800 students and is expected to be completed prior to the fall semester of 2022.
The building will have:
- 36 classrooms
- Four teacher work areas
- Two special education classroom suites
- A 7,100-square-foot gymnasium
- A music room
- An art room
- A library
- A storm shelter that will house approximately 935 occupants
- A 2,000-square-foot recreation center for the City of Knoxville
The replacement school is estimated to cost $19,950,000 and will be located on the park property adjacent to the existing Lonsdale Elementary School.
Upon completion of the replacement school, students from Sam E. Hill Primary will attend Lonsdale Elementary, officials said.
The replacement school will also include a 2,000-square-foot recreation center and office space for the City of Knoxville’s Parks and Recreation Department. Knox County will transfer the Sam E. Hill property to the City of Knoxville.
These plans have been in the works for a few years in order to help overcrowding in the district and to create a better learning environment for students and staff.
In 2019, the Knox County Board of Education voted to approve a proposed land trade deal between the city of Knoxville and Knox County.
The city, county, and school system drafted up a memorandum of agreement to swap land in order to build the new Lonsdale Elementary School.
"This building has served its purpose and its usefulness," said KCS Superintendent Bob Thomas. "Just extremely excited about the new building, and just I wish they were moving in tomorrow but we know it takes time."
According to a news release from the school district, a groundbreaking ceremony for a new elementary school in Northwest Knox County will also be held later this spring.
This is a developing story, we will continue to update you on both groundbreakings, as we learn more.