Editor's note — This article has been updated since originally posted to correct reporting errors.
Andrews – Cherokee County school board member Steve Coleman presented his vision for consolidating schools and closing campuses to the Andrews Board of Aldermen on July 25.
The meeting was held at the community center off of Main Street instead of the facilities building off of Fourth Street, where the board usually meets. Thirty-six chairs were available for the public, but just four people showed up.
However, Mayor James Reid announced on social media the night before that the meeting was scheduled, and his post drew 137 comments – not counting the responses – mainly from people urging a hands-off approach to Andrews’ elementary, middle and high schools.
The full board turned out to hear Coleman present his plan, in which Andrews gets off comparatively light when compared to what Coleman has in mind for the rest of the county.
In Andrews, his plan simply relocates Andrews Elementary School from its aging campus to the newer Andrews Middle School, and merges Andrews Middle and Andrews High schools at the high school campus (the two schools shared the campus in the past, with smaller enrollments). The combined middle/high school campus would eventually be upgraded with new construction.
Coleman’s plan for the rest of the county is more complex. It would consolidate numerous schools, rebuild two and close Martins Creek Elementary/Middle, Murphy Elementary, Murphy Middle and Peachtree Elementary schools.
According to Coleman’s outline, his plan would also close The Oaks Academy, but that school is already closing its campus in Marble and moving to the Schools of Innovation & Technology in Peachtree. Coleman’s outline also doesn’t explain what will happen to the former Andrews Elementary, but he told the Cherokee Scout that he would keep the gym but nothing else.
Coleman has been making the rounds presenting his plan in hopes of getting public feedback and avoiding complaints that there wasn’t enough public awareness. His is one of three plans along with others proposed by board members Jeff Tatham and Jason Murphy. Tatham already expresses doubts about his own plan, and Murphy’s is closely aligned with Coleman’s.
Cherokee County Schools has 12 campuses, including the Schools of Innovation, which consolidates The Oaks Academy and Tri-County Early College. Of the 12 schools, Murphy High, Murphy Middle and Andrews Elementary are in the worst condition with the most pressing issues.
Coleman’s plan would reduce the number of campuses from 12 to 5. Those five campuses would be:
- A large campus in Peachtree would include a new Murphy pre-kindergarten through 8th grade school as well as the Schools of Innovation & Technology. A new two-story building would have pre-kindergarten through fifth grade on the first floor and sixth through eighth grades on the second floor. It would include students from Murphy, Peachtree and Martins Creek. Schools in Peachtree and Martins Creek would close, and Murphy Middle School would become part of Murphy High School. The new Schools of Innovation & Technology combines Tri-County Early College High School, The Oaks Academy alternative school and the Career Academy vocational school; it opens this fall.
- An upgraded Murphy High School would be at its current location for grades 9-12. This would combine the high school and middle school facilities along with new construction into a single high school campus.
- The existing Andrews Middle would become Andrews Elementary with grades pre-K through 5 from the Andrews attendance area. The existing Andrews Elementary School would close except for its gym, which would be used by the Andrews Middle/High School.
- The existing Andrews High would combine middle and high schoolers grades 6-12 from the Andrews attendance area. New construction would mirror Murphy High School improvements.
- Hiwassee Dam's campus would be expanded to accommodate pre-elementary, elementary, middle and high schoolers from the Hiwassee Dam and Ranger districts. Ranger would close.
“It takes a huge burden off of the county; it takes a burden off the taxpayers,” Coleman said.
Closed schools would be repurposed or sold off as surplus, he said, with sales income being applied to the school consolidation project.
Coleman’s plan banks on the state awarding one or several grants for school consolidations – $30 million for an elementary school, $40 million for a middle school and $50 million for a high school.
The county turned down a grant for $50 million for a consolidated high school last year.
Coleman said the county could be eligible for one or more grants. The full project would take six to eight years to complete.
Andrews Mayor James Reid said he was concerned about long travel times to consolidated schools.
“I can see the time and passion put into this, whether it’s right or wrong,” Reid said, referring to Coleman’s proposal. He said the high school plan was “shoved down our throats,” whereas Coleman’s method of making multiple presentations of his plan is a better process.
“People feel like they have some skin in the game,” Reid said.