School board talks bursting building capacity, new schools and sidewalks

Marissa England, Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle
·2 min read
Students arriving for opening day of the 2022-23 school year at CMCSS's Kirkwood Middle School and Hazelwood Elementary School.
Students arriving for opening day of the 2022-23 school year at CMCSS's Kirkwood Middle School and Hazelwood Elementary School.

In the Nov. 15 school board meeting, the biggest point of conversation was a school capacity report, showing that numerous school buildings are bursting at the seams in student population growth.

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System Chief Operating Officer Norm Brumblay gave a presentation based on this school year's 40-day numbers, showing student capacity levels in school buildings across the system.

According to the report, numbers show that the construction of the new Kirkwood Middle School and portable classrooms have brought capacity at surrounding schools to an ideal range, between 70% and 90%. Previously, in the 2021-2031 School Growth Estimate report, middle school capacity in the area reached 104%.

Now the attention focuses on the next high school, Kirkwood High School.

Brumblay said current capacities at West Creek, Northeast, Rossview, and Clarksville High are all over 100%. The only impactful adjustment is the addition of portables, which has brought Clarksville High capacity down to 98%.

New Providence and Northwest are at 90% capacity, while Montgomery Central is within an ideal capacity of 83%.

He is hopeful and expectant that like the construction of a new middle school, a new high school will give similar relief to surrounding schools.

CMCSS rezoned in the spring of 2022 to prepare for the opening of Kirkwood Middle later that year and discussed rezoning for the high school in the same conversation.

While the heavy work of that has been done, the final rezoning recommendation for the high school will come in December after stakeholder surveys and opt-out forms are returned.

CMCSS can also expect Kirkwood Elementary in near future conversations as it's design has just been approved. Bidding will begin in April and construction is expected in May or June for a Fall 2024 opening.

Sidewalks in high demand

Brumblay also gave an update for highly demanded sidewalk infrastructure.

He presented 13 proposed sidewalk projects, affecting 16 different schools at an approximately $5.4 million cost.

  • Rossview Road: Rossview Complex

  • Northeast Drive: Northeast Complex

  • E Street: Byrns Darn Elementary

  • Beech Street: Byrns Darden Elementary

  • Ringgold Road: Ringgold Elementary

  • Old Russellville Pike: St. Bethlehem Elementary

  • Crossland Avenue: Moore Magnet Elementary

  • Roedeer Drive: Kirkwood Complex

  • N. Liberty Church Road: Northwest High

  • 3 sections of Richview Road: Richview Middle and Clarksville High

  • Meriwether Road: Northeast Complex

According to the timeline that was given, they anticipate these projects to be constructed by October 2023.

These sidewalks will help make routes safer and more accessible to parents and students within the Parent Responsibility Zone.

Reach Reporter Marissa England at marissaengland@theleafchronicle.com. To support her work, sign up for a digital subscription to TheLeafChronicle.com.

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: CMCSS talks about new schools and sidewalks, current capacity levels