County commissioners, BOE members hear safety plan for Homestead Elementary

May 13—Cumberland County Commissioners met with Director of Schools William Stepp last week for a presentation addressing safety concerns at Homestead Elementary School.

For a short-term recommendation, Stepp is recommending all playground equipment and activity areas be moved to the rear of the school, behind buildings and the installation of a 6-foot fence around the rear perimeter of the school's property all the way around up to the front drive.

A long-term recommendation is the construction of a 20-room new addition on the rear of the school being connected through the current cafeteria.

"That will get all of the students under one roof and a one-key entrance," Stepp said.

He said the older classrooms that are currently connected with outdoor walkways would most likely be occupied by the school system in some fashion, but there would be no students in those rooms.

"We are just starting to study this," Stepp said.

Cumberland County Sheriff Casey Cox and Gary Howard, the sheriff's director of community services, public information and criminal investigations, also attended the meeting.

Sheriff Cox explained Homestead Elementary is the sheriff's office's "biggest fear" and safety concern in the school system due to the multiple buildings being so spread out and the open walkways where students and faculty have to travel during the day.

"If we don't address this and fix this [situation], we'll blame ourselves later," Cox said.

Howard said the school being in between the two highways is a major concern and one solution is having everyone under one roof with one entrance. He said moving the playground areas to the back would be a "short-term good move."

Rebecca Stone, 3rd District county commissioner, asked Step if the board had considered framing in the walkways between the classrooms and enclosing them with fencing.

Bo Magnusson, director of emergency management and security for the school system said it was previously considered and said there would be a fire marshal issue and approximately $10,000 per door for proper security and cameras.

Stepp presented a rough draft of the new building addition and

Allen Hill, architect with Upland Design Group, gave a cost estimate of $7 million to $7.5 million for the addition and $1 million to $1.5 million for and expansion on the cafeteria for a total of roughly $10 million and a two-year time frame for construction.

Colleen Mall, 9th District commissioner, asked Stepp, "So what is your short-term recommendation?"

Stepp said moving all activity and playground to the back of the buildings and fencing around the perimeter of the back of the property up to the front.

John Patterson, 9th District county commissioner, said, "The longer we put this off the more money it's going to cost. We need to get this done ... I think the 800-pound gorilla in the room is a reluctance about a potential tax increase. When we look back at what we did for Crab Orchard and CCHS, the average homeowner, the homeowner who had a medium-priced home, that homeowner had a cost of about $16 per year. I don't think there should be a wall built because it might increase somebody's taxes. This project will be half the cost of the previous one. I don't think we should be reluctant to move forward because of the prospect of maybe another $10 to my tax bill. It's a no-brainer. We should move forward."

Patterson said a border fence and moving the playground to the rear of the school is, "not security. It's lipstick on a pig."

Tom Isham, 2nd District commissioner, asked about teachers being allowed to carry arms that was recently approved by the general assembly.

Stepp said the BOE and his administration is waiting to hear opinions from the state, Tennessee School Board Association, the sheriff's office and to try and figure out what will work for the Cumberland County School System.

Stepp said the BOE was most likely putting in a maintenance line in the budget for Homestead Elementary for improvements.

"Improvements like these would come from that line, if that's what the board approves," Stepp said.

Mall commended Stepp meeting with the BOE and county commission and presenting the plan.

"We all have to be on the same sheet of music and hearing the plan from the beginning is a great start," Mall said.

County commissioners Sue York, 1st District; Tom Isham and Nancy Hyder, 2nd District; Darrell Threet and Rebecca Stone, 3rd District; Terry Lowe, 5th District; Wendell Wilson, 6th District; Jerry Cooper, 7th District; and John Patterson and Colleen Mall, 9th District, attended the meeting.

Board of Education members Robert Safdie, 2nd District; Sheri Nichols, 3rd District; Nick Davis, 5th District; Chris King, 6th District; and Shannon Stout, 9th District, attended the meeting.

Gary Nelson may be reached at gnelson@crossville-chronicle.com