Gray says new schools needed at Cascade, Liberty

Ed Gray, as a member of Bedford County Financial Management Committee, knows that the county is at the limits of its borrowing capacity. But as Bedford County School Superintendent, he believes that the school system needs a new high school at Cascade and a new middle school at Liberty.

The school system has just opened two new schools, Learning Way Elementary and a new Community High School, and in recent years built a new Harris Middle School and expanded Central High School. But Gray told Bedford County Board of Education Thursday night that the most recent enrollment at Cascade High School, including middle school grades, at 842.

"We have to have a school at Cascade, due to those numbers," said Gray.

Gray told the Times-Gazette that the building has a rated capacity of only 700 students.

A new high school, serving only grades 9-12, would be located on expansion property the county already owns near the opposite corner from the current school. The existing building would then become a dedicated middle school.

Cascade has 479 students in grades 9-12, compared to 445 at the brand new Community High School and 1,169 at the recently-expanded Central High School.

Gray said he believes a new high school should be built before a new jail, another need which has been expressed recently to county commissioners.

School board member Diane Neeley said the southern end of the county should not be overlooked and noted the number of portable classrooms being used for middle school classrooms at Liberty School. Gray agreed that new capacity is needed at Liberty as well.

School board members said it may be time for an update of the school system's 10-year construction plan. The county school system saw rapid growth over the past decade, although it has slowed somewhat in the past year or two.

Meanwhile, despite the new elementary school capacity in Shelbyville due to the opening of Learning Way, Gray said that portables now in place should be left at their current locations until the school system has a specific need for them somewhere else. He said moving them would cost $16,000 per classroom, and selling them would not bring much income either.

"We need to move them for a purpose," said Gray.

Architect John Davis reported that a few remaining "punch list" items at both Learning Way and Community will be worked on while schools are closed for the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. He said the back entrance to the new Community High School has been paved but should not be opened to traffic until after the Celebration break, so that it has time to cure.

"That'll be a big help to our traffic situation," said Davis.

The board held its meeting in the new Community High School library.