Collierville School Board recommends new high school campus – Collierville Independent

Following a detailed analysis of all potential options for accommodating Collierville Schools current and future needs for facilities at the high school and middle school levels, The Collierville Schools Board of Education has recommended the construction of a new high school and the conversion of the current high school into a third middle school for the district.
The Collierville Board of Education met Friday afternoon in a special called business meeting to discuss a comprehensive report on the construction of a new high school.
With the help of community planners, architects, real estate professionals, land use experts, school designers, and community leaders, the Board of Education analyzed three options. Those explored options were:
Build a new high school and convert the current Collierville High School into a middle school.
Expand the current Collierville High School and build a new third middle school.
Renovate the current Collierville High School, build a new second high school, and build a new third middle school.
The costs associated with all three plans were found to be within a 2 percent range of total cost when all aspects of new construction, land acquisition and facilities renovation were considered.
“Certain things became very clear to us in our exploration,” said Collierville Schools Superintendent John Aitken. “There is no escaping the fact that at least one new school facility must be constructed, and that the current high school must undergo renovation, expansion or repurposing to remain a viable part of the system. We are past existing capacity for both middle and high school needs. We can take a short-term, Band-Aid approach to a long-term need, or take an approach that satisfies needs long-term. Land costs and availability are at a premium in Collierville, leaving very few viable options. There is no solution that will be embraced by everyone. And, our responsibility as officials is to make the most financially responsible recommendation, but also to protect the reputation and integrity of Collierville Schools as a competitive advantage for our community at large.
“Based on everything we have learned and explored, we feel the responsible option is to build a new single high school for Collierville, and to convert the current high school facility into a needed third middle school.”

Pros and Cons of each scenario outlined by the Board:
• Build a new high school and convert the current Collierville High School into a middle school.

PROS

Positions District for 30–50 years of growth
Allows for building with cost-effective operations in mind, and therefore lower long-term operational costs
Promotes single community identity – ONE TOWN, ONE SCHOOL
Allows for greatest quality facilities, built specifically for high school use
Adequate parking for students, teachers, and events
Utilizes existing high school structure for best use as middle school
One new campus constructed, not two
Least disruption to existing high school campus
Fastest path to usage
Best accessibility of facility
Land availability in suitable size
Provides potential interaction and use of potential TCAT operations (vocational education)
Best opportunity to create optimal learning environment

CONS
Distance and access from north part of town

• Expand the current Collierville High School and build a new third middle school – THE DISTRICT CONSIDERS THIS OPTION UNACCEPTABLE AND LEAST FEASABLE DUE TO EXTENSIVE CONS.

PROS
Promotes single community identity – ONE TOWN, ONE SCHOOL
One new building constructed (Middle School)
Keeps school in current location

CONS
If land is available adjacent to high school, it requires building on unstable landfill
Expected continued expenses due to land fill instability
Limited ability to accommodate growth
Exacerbates already existing traffic problems and neighborhood issues
Inadequate parking for students, teachers, and events would force limitations on student parking
Extreme and potentially dangerous construction disruption
Most costly option
Band-Aid approach that does not promote best high school level facilities
Least cost-effective operation and therefore highest costs for operations
Least quality of facilities due to building on old infrastructure
Located far from future Collierville residential growth
Collierville does not own the land needed for expansion

• Renovate the current Collierville High School, build a new second high school and build a new third middle school.

PROS

Positions district for growth
Adequate building and parking for 1,500 students, teachers, and events at current location
Keeps high school in current location
CONS
Creates vastly different high school experiences at two facilities
Requires three simultaneous construction projects – new high school, new middle school, some renovation at existing high school
Duplication of staffing and operation expenses (2 High Schools)
Creates potentially divisive community rivalry
Higher long-term operational costs
Could create unintended property value competition based on two high school districts
Does not alleviate current existing traffic problems and neighborhood issues

“Weighing all of these issues as well as many others, we could not recommend to the community any option other than a single new high school,” Aitken said.
In addition to weighing the three primary options, the Board of Education also conducted an extensive land use, land availability, land suitability, road disruption, land cost, and neighborhood disruption study. With the construction of a single new high school option in mind, and recognizing a need for 100-plus acres to accomplish the facilities needs and growth contingent, the Board considered nine potential sites. The locations were scored on 10 considerations:
Total Site Costs
Purchase Price?
On-site development (grading, infrastructure, etc.)?
Off-site development cost to be borne by Collierville Schools?
Visibility
Will the location project a positive image for the school?
Will it be a source of pride?
Vehicular Accessibility
Is there easy and safe traffic access?
Will the roadway system accommodate the expected volume?
Pedestrian Accessibility
Is the site walkable and/or bikeable from nearby residential communities?
Is there safe pedestrian access to the site?
Existing Infrastructure
Does the site have existing roadways and utilities?
Number of Off-site Improvements Needed
Road extension improvements?
Sanitary sewer?
Public water?
AT&T Internet?
3-phase electricity?
Distance to City Center
Environmental Concerns
Contaminated soil?
Wetlands?
Geotechnical?
Other?
Site Features
Any unusual topographical features?
Natural features that will enhance the beauty and development?
Any aesthetic and/or functional detrimental features?
City Planning Issues
City plans for site or adjacent property that might have a negative or positive impact?
Any zoning issues of concern?
Potential negative impact on any adjacent property?

Based on all issues, the selected location is at East Shelby Drive and Sycamore Road, south of TN 385.

The Case for additional facilities for Collierville High School and Middle School students

In order the fully understand why the Collierville Board of Education has explored multiple options for its high school and middle school facilities, it is important to know the basic underlying facts about the enrollment expectations. These are:

Collierville has exceeded its capacity to house students at the current High School –
Capacity at Collierville High School – 2,000
Collierville High School current enrollment – 2,160
Collierville High School student projections – 2,600+ by 2017, and growing after that
Collierville needs a school campus designed to accommodate 3,000 students, with room to expand if needed

The current Collierville High School campus of 50 acres does not offer the expansion space required to grow to 3,000 students. Additional land acquisition is necessary.

The current Collierville High School campus is in need of a facilities upgrade to meet current minimum standards for High Schools. Some facilities are more than 40 years old, and designed originally for middle school needs.

Collierville has exceeded its capacity to house students at its two current Middle Schools –
Capacity at Collierville middle schools (2) – 1,890
Collierville middle schools current enrollment – 1,926
Collierville middle school student projections – 2,000+ by 2017, and growing after that
Collierville needs facilities to accommodate 2,100 students, with room to expand if needed

Neither current Collierville middle school has the infrastructure to accommodate expansion.

Based on this data, the Collierville Board of Education recommends to the elected officials of the Town of Collierville and the citizens of Collierville that a new single high school construction, and a repurposing of the current high school back to its middle school origins, is the best path to a strong school district and a strong community. A new high school is the right choice to provide our students with the best possible education and help build community pride.