Am I the only one who was flummoxed by the Journal Star story today that District 150 is applying to get the old Social Security Administration building on Knoxville? Cindy Fischer (Interim Superintendant) is reported to have explained that the district could use it to expand the Transition to Success Academy, currently housed in White Middle School.
Isn’t this the district that is looking to combine primary and middle schools so they can get rid of some of their buildings? Just as recently as May 19, the Journal Star reported that the district is considering closing schools to “close its budget shortfall of $19 million over three years.” So why in the world would they want another building?
Just because the purchase price may be free doesn’t mean that the building won’t cost money to maintain and operate. And office buildings aren’t exactly laid out conducively for a school; are the kids going to sit at modular office cubicles instead of school desks? I would imagine there would need to be a fair amount of renovation before it would be adequate for a school setting. And what about location? There’s no greenspace for children to play, and it’s right on state route 40 — one of the busiest arteries in the city.
Hopefully, the Human Service Center will decide they want the building and make this discussion moot (they get first dibs). But if they don’t want it, District 150 should also pass it up. There’s nothing free about owning property, and the last thing the district needs is more expense.