Chattanooga Times Free Press

Construction continues on Tyner school

BY SAM STILL STAFF WRITER

Construction continues on the long-awaited Tyner Middle High Academy, which will replace the current academic facility and is set to open in January 2025 at a cost of $95 million.

Construction began in February after a groundbreaking ceremony at Tyner Academy’s football field, the site of the new academic facility. Originally slated for a fall 2024 opening, an unexpectedly high project cost caused delays while officials set about filling the financial gap.

Original estimates put the project’s cost at $68 million in November 2021, but the project’s scope and a reassessment of market conditions in February 2022 increased the estimated cost to nearly $78 million.

Project bids in December were even higher, however, due to inflation and the rising costs of construction materials. The Hamilton County school board voted unanimously to accept the bid of $96 million from Christman Co., a Knoxville-based construction company. The board opted for a design with a scaled-back landscape, which brought the cost down to $95 million.

The money is better spent on building the new school rather than continuing to repair the current one, said school board member Karitsa Jones, D-Chattanooga. The current building has been around a long while, she added in a phone interview Wednesday.

“Several generations of Chattanoogans have went

through that building, and it is in need of major repairs beyond what would be cost effective … versus building a brand new building,” Jones said.

A walkout by Tyner students and the closure of the school’s 400 building due to water leaks brought attention to the school’s conditions, prompting Hamilton County school district officials to begin the process of getting a new academic facility built.

Once completed, the Tyner Middle High Academy will combine both the middle and high schools into one building that will accommodate up to 1,400 students. Middle and high school students will be separated in the twostory building, but they will also have shared spaces such as the cafeteria, band room, media room and other seating areas.

The new facility will have metal panel roofing, covered walkways and a turf football field among other features. Both the middle and high schoolers will have their own fullcourt gyms, and the high school gym will have an indoor running track and two practice courts.

Tyner students have much to look forward to at their new school, and so do the Tyner employees, according to Tyner

Principal Tiffany Earvin.

“The new facility will better equip staff to have a more massive impact on the education of students … because with the new facility comes better opportunities as well,” Earvin said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Once everyone has moved into the new facility, the current Tyner buildings will be demolished, and the site will be used for a new parking lot, football stadium and practice field.

A spokesperson for Hamilton County Schools said he was unable to provide any updates on the construction’s progress.

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2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

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