Knox County Schools bought land in Farragut. Here are 23 other properties it considered

West Knox County is growing exponentially, and Knox County Schools is working to get ahead of the population trend while alleviating overcrowded schools.

Earlier this month, the Knox County school board agreed to buy 41 acres at Boring Road and Kingston Pike for nearly $5 million. Administrators told members they weren't sure exactly what type of school would be built on the site but that they needed to act fast so they didn't lose out to another buyer.

Community members and Farragut teachers spoke out, arguing that they weren't a part of the process and that they were blindsided by plans to build a middle school there instead of the elementary school that was pitched in 2022.

"For full transparency, I think it's important that the public knows now before we purchase a property that the proposal could include a middle school instead," board member Susan Horn, who represents the Farragut area, said Oct. 2 about reports the property could be used for an elementary school.

One school board member made an unsuccessful suggestion to delay the vote so they could look at other options, but an administrator pressed them to move ahead.

"There was a sense of urgency," Garfield Adams, KCS assistant superintendent of operations, said in response. Out of the three top contenders, one property was not zoned to build a school and the district had "walked away" from another, he said.

Now plans are developing quickly.

This week, school board members will hear options for the property. The board will meet at 5 p.m. Oct. 26 at 500 W. Summit Hill Drive to talk – but not vote – about how the property will be used.

A public forum is part of the meeting.

Those wishing to speak should sign up by calling 865-594-1623 or emailing board.office@knoxschools.org no later than 4 p.m. Oct. 25. Speakers can also register in person before the start of the Oct. 26 meeting.

What other properties did the district consider?

The district considered 24 properties before it made its final pick. Three properties, not listed below, were found to be unsuitable, according to Knox County Schools spokesperson Carly Harrington.

Here's a list of properties considered, along with notes from the district about the sites.

Farragut Primary School has 951 students, the intermediate school has 1,098 students, the middle school has 1,409 students and high school has 2,067 students.

Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AreenaArora.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County Schools looked at Farragut properties for new school