Who are the members of the enrollment committee recommending a new Oak Ridge school?

Donna Smith, The Oak Ridger
Updated ·1 min read

Who are the members of the enrollment committee that have been studying Oak Ridge Schools' increasing student population and future needs?

Linden Elementary School on the west end of Oak Ridge, which opened in 1968, along with Jefferson Junior High School. Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers and a committee examining the school system's increasing student population, future and needs is recommending closing Linden eventually and building a new school on the west end by 2027.

  • Bruce Borchers, Oak Ridge Schools (ORS) superintendent

  • Bruce Lay, executive director of school leadership, ORS

  • Kelly Williams, executive director of teaching and learning, ORS

  • Allen Thacker, director of maintenance and operations, ORS

  • Jenifer Van Dyke, director of finance, ORS

  • Molly Gallagher Smith, communications specialist, ORS

  • Heather Henderlight, district instructional technology coordinator, ORS

  • Corbett Drew, consultant, Cornerstone Program Management Group LLC (specializes in comprehensive project management services)

  • Peter Ludman, principal architect, Cope Architecture

With Oak Ridge's population growing, leaders of the city school system are recommending that a new elementary school be constructed on the west end and additions and renovations made to three of the elementary schools and two junior highs.

The recommendation also includes the eventual closing of the current Linden Elementary School because the current school site would be difficult - and expensive - to expand or become the site of a new school.

It also includes returning the fifth grade to the elementary schools and making Robertsville and Jefferson junior highs into middle schools again, holding sixth- through eighth-grades. Redistricting throughout the system would also be required to balance the student population sizes at the schools and relieve the new school building.

View the presentation here.

The potential cost: $69.5 million, which doesn't include buying land for a new school on the west end of Oak Ridge, where the population growth is projected to continue.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Who are the enrollment committee members recommending a new school?