What does $66 million buy in a new school?
The Knox County school board will find out Thursday (1/8/26) when the board meets at 5 p.m. in the Summer Place boardroom, 500 W. Summit Hill Dr., Knoxville. Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk is recommending the design package developed by Lewis Group Architects for a K-8 school on the site of the former Rule High School.
You, too, can see what $66 million buys: Contract_Lewis_Group_Architects_Schematic_Designs_for_New_K-8_School. Drawings are about halfway down.
The school will be built with a main floor and upper and lower levels, but each level will have outside access because of the slope of the site. The new K-8 school will serve students currently attending Maynard Elementary, Westview Elementary, Beaumont Magnet Academy, and parts of Lonsdale Elementary.
The school is designed for 1,200 students in elementary and middle school. Dr. John Butler, who represents the district, says now middle school kids must leave their community. The new school will keep them together.
The timeline is:
- Appoint principal in summer 2028
- Discuss zoning during the 2028-29 school year
- Transfer seats will be determined after final rezoning.
Rysewyk’s recommendation reads: “While our first priority must be maximizing access for the zoned student population, we recognize and value the significant concentration of transfer students at Beaumont Magnet Academy. Preserving space for student transfers has been a major consideration from the inception of this project, and will remain a priority.”
Other capital projects, all funded by individual schools, to be considered:
- Ball Camp Elementary to purchase and install artificial turf in the school’s courtyard area at an estimated cost of $43,540
- Blue Grass Elementary to purchase and install artificial turf and fencing on the school’s sports field at an estimated cost of $147,022
- West High to remove an island and pave an area of the school’s parking lot to provide an area for marching band practice at an estimated cost of $33,055.
The board also will approve Superintendent Ryswyk’s annual evaluation and approve tenure for eligible teachers.
We have just started 6th grade at Vine from beaumont and have really benefitted from arts programs at both schools. My question was to how middle school programs are complementary as prep for AE high school.
(STEM, languages, choral music for example)
That’s great for the Western Heights community. When is Powell going to get a new elementary school? The current school is way overcrowded. It was that way when mine went there 10-15 years ago. It’s worse now and the solution is to add more portable buildings. And with all the houses being built in the new in the Belltown area, it’s only getting worse.
How will programs at Vine be affected?
Ben: I’m not sure the programs at Vine will be impacted by this new school. But the neighborhood kids will benefit from staying together rather than being sent to South-Doyle, Whittle Springs and Northwest Middle. What do you think?