It would be hard to predict, with any certainty, what the cost of the new school and complex of this size, might be in a couple of years from now, but it won't be cheap. Very preliminary guesses would be in the 75 million range. And yes, it will require a significant property tax increase to fund it. To pay the debt service on a 75 mil. loan for twenty years would require a property tax increase between twenty-five to thirty cents. This would include a couple million per year to staff and operate the new school. Of course, the cost of labor and material and the interest rate at that time will determine the ultimate costs. Beside the planned new school, other projects are also being planned. A band room and ten classroom addition is proposed for Philadelphia Elementary, an auxiliary gymnasium for Greenback school and expansion of CTE classroom space at Loudon High School. 

If funding for the new school is not provided, additions and portable classrooms would be required on several of the existing campuses costing millions and would be only temporary fixes. 

What would a thirty cent property tax increase cost the property owners?

The current Loudon County property tax rate is $1.52 per $100 value, second lowest in the state. Currently the property tax on a $300,000.00 home value would be $1,140.00. With a 30 cent property tax increase, the property tax rate would go to $1.82 per $100 value. Property tax on a $300,000.00 would be $1,365.00, an increase of $225.00. Lenoir City property owners would not pay the property tax increase.

I want to be as clear as possible, I have no idea how much the new school and additional school construction projects will cost nor will we know the amount until true architectural drawings are done on all the projects. I also want to be clear as possible, no county commissioners have committed to any property tax increase at this time. What is a fact, without the building program, something will have to be done to house all the incoming students in the county school system.

It will be the job of the Loudon County Board Of Education to sell the building program to the property owners of Loudon County. 

Does Loudon County need a additional high school?

Anyone would be hard pressed to argue that a new high school isn't needed and probably a long time. Currently, on the upper end of the county, most county students attend Lenoir City High School. Estimates are that 50-60% of LCHS students live in the county. Both school systems are at or near capacity now. Both systems are going to have to take measures to deal with the growing student populations. Loudon County's proposal to build an additional 7-12 high school which would alleviate over crowding in both school systems almost immediately A 7-12 high school would move two grade levels from North Middle to the new school. Eatons would become a K-3 and North Middle would become a 4-6. This would not only eliminate over crowding at those two schools, it would also reduce the traffic problems there too. When the new high school is opened and if 50% of Lenoir City high school students moved to the new school, this in turn would allow the Lenoir City system to adopt the same strategy as the county to eliminate over crowding in their grammar and middle schools.

Traffic Issues?

The number one concern I've heard raised thus far is traffic problems. The current plans call for a road from Hwy. 11 that would connect to Simpson Road. Would a new school and a new road on Hwy. 11 cause some traffic issues? Very likely. But school traffic would be far less than six or seven hundred apartments or four or five hundred homes. All measures to address traffic issues will be taken into consideration in the design of the facility.

The Politics?

As we all know, everything is political. The idea of building a new county high school on the upper end is already becoming a political issue. There are some Lenoir City officials who are already fighting the idea. Lenoir City director of Schools, Jeanne Barker, went so far as to contact the church to try to buy the property out from under the county. Of course, the church declined the offer unless the county backs out of the deal. Ms. Barker has also contacted county school board members and administrators trying to talk them out of building a new high school. I'm sure she feels the idea of losing half or more of her high school students would be bad for her. But in the big picture, it would be the best thing for all the students. There's always talk about combining school systems and that's a discussion for another time. But if both systems were combined tomorrow, that wouldn't solve the overcrowding in both systems.

Property tax increases are always a hot political issue and usually unpopular among citizens. If the county school board and administrators are convinced this is the best path forward for the school system, it is on them to sell the idea to the citizens of Loudon County. It will ultimately be up to the county commission to vote for any property tax increase needed to pay for the new school.