Board of Education moves a new Knox County school one step closer to becoming reality

Knox County Schools Board of Education members and Superintendent Jon Rysewyk (lower right) (Photo by Knox County Schools

The Knox County School Board voted Thursday to move forward with a plan for the creation of a new K-8 school that would serve 1,600 students in the Western Heights area west of downtown Knoxville.  The new school would be built on property where Rule High School, which closed in 1991, once stood and would draw students from the Mechanicsville, Lonsdale and Beaumont communities.  

With the plan, district leaders hope to address anticipated enrollment increases in the area and better serve families in district zone 1 by adding more preschool space and educational opportunities for students, while streamlining school feeder patterns and allowing students there to remain within their communities.  Currently, there is no middle school in that area of the district and the proposed new school would serve 600 middle school students. During a presentation on February 3, district officials also pointed out that a larger school would allow for more programming opportunities and additional student support services.

As part of the more than $60 million dollar plan, the district would close Beaumont Magnet Academy and Maynard Elementary School, swapping those properties to the county in exchange for the Rule High School property. West View Elementary would be converted to a dedicated preschool.

During discussion at the school board’s February 6th meeting, District 2 Board Member Anne Templeton expressed support for the project, but made a motion to amend the proposal to include funding for magnet-type programs, dedicated transfer seats, an arts integrated curriculum and honors opportunities.

“I am at this moment focusing on the magnet school that is Beaumont and what has worked, programming that has worked, and I want to set a vision to allow for that in the future,” said Templeton.

District 1 board member John Butler, who represents the zone the new school will fall under, has already expressed his support for the plan.  He agreed that the board wanted to be sure the new school offered excellent curriculum opportunities. 

“We want to keep the best, and add more of the rest of the best,” he said, but went on to say more specific discussions about programming would take place later in the planning process. “At this point, I want to get it done.”

The amended motion failed to pass, and the board advanced the original plan.  The district hopes to move forward with land acquisition for the proposed school next month, with construction tentatively planned to begin in 2026.