'It's about time': KCS and community leaders break ground on new elementary schools

The sun was shining, dirt was tossed and people were cheering. On Monday, Knox County Schools administrators along with city and county leaders celebrated the upcoming replacement buildings for Adrian Burnett Elementary and Lonsdale Elementary.

Both buildings are expected to open before the start of the 2022-2023 school year. When the Lonsdale school is complete, students from Sam E. Hill Primary (for early grades) will attend a new, united Lonsdale Elementary.

Lonsdale principal April Partin said students are currently in one community across two schools, split by grade level, and this building will allow a physical representation of that one community.

At Adrian Burnett, school principal Stephanie Prince said she's grateful and excited.

"So when I was talking with the staff, about what should I say today," Prince said, "they're telling me I have to speak, what do you think I should say? And the most common feedback I got was 'Please tell them, it's about time.'"

"The Adrian Burnett community, like you've been hearing, has been waiting for this day for so long. And with this difficult year that we are all going through, it is such a blessing to have something to celebrate today." 

Here's what we know so far.

Adrian Burnett Elementary

The 94,000-square-foot building will accommodate up to about 800 students.

The replacement school is estimated to cost close to $20 million and will be located on the existing campus at 4531 Brown Gap Road. The architect on the project is Johnson Architecture Inc., and the general contractor is Merit Construction Inc., according to a KCS news release. 

It will include: 

• 34 classrooms
• 4 teacher work areas
• 2 special education classroom suites
• a music room
• an art room
• a library
• a 7,100-square foot gymnasium
• a storm shelter that will be able to hold about 935 people

Lonsdale Elementary 

The 94,000-square-foot building will accommodate up to about 800 students.

The replacement school is estimated to cost close to $20 million. It will be located on the park property adjacent to the existing Lonsdale Elementary School.

In October 2019, the school board approved a memorandum to transfer the Lonsdale Park property from the city of Knoxville to Knox County for the purpose of building the new school. Once the school is completed, the county will transfer the Sam E. Hill property to the city of Knoxville.

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said the city will preserve part of the primary school and then turn the space into a park and meeting spot.

Rouse Construction Company is the contractor and McCarty, Holsaple, McCarty Inc. is the architect, according to the news release. 

The new elementary will have: 

• 36 classrooms
• 4 teacher work areas
• 2 special education classroom suites
• a 7,100-square-foot gymnasium
• a music room
• an art room
• a library
• a storm shelter that will be able to hold about 935 people
• a 2,000-square-foot recreation center for the city of Knoxville

"Because no matter how crowded this school has gotten, and no matter how ... you have got to deal with issues with an older building, the quality of the education and the dedication of the families and staff at this school has never wavered," Kincannon said.