Don Shell of Community Tectonics came to an informal meeting Thursday morning with Loudon County Board of Education members and Central Office personnel, including Director of Schools Wayne Honeycutt, to update the board on tentative plans for renovating and combining Loudon Elementary and Fort Loudoun Middle School and for the new school at Greenback. 

Shell said his firm should have color drawings and cost estimates in July for the work on the combined schools. He said he was still looking at designs for roofs at both schools and was looking for input from the board. 

"We think we're heading in the right direction," Shell said of the roofs. He explained the current plans for both schools include solar heating options. Those are possible because the designs call for classrooms to have windows on both sides to allow for natural sunlight. In theory, students may be able to see well enough on sunny days that the lights in those classrooms can be turned off to save on energy costs.

Shell said such a design was used at schools in Bristol, Tenn. and they were working well and reducing electric bills as expected.

"A lot of the part of the day you can use daylight and not even have the lights on," Shell said, adding the system includes sensors to self-stop the lights when there is sufficient sunlight but it's important for teachers to be trained on how to use the system. 

Shell showed a slide presentation of the new and more modern Greenback School. The design calls for separate areas for elementary, middle and high school classes, a new library, new reception and office area and a new cafeteria. Greenback Principal Joey Breedlove asked if he could have a copy of the color layouts to show his teachers, which Shell agreed to provide.

The gym plans were discussed and they include new dressing areas, new storage areas and coaches offices with windows that look out on the gym. This was welcome news since some visiting football teams wear their uniforms to Greenback games to avoid using the dilapidated dressing rooms in the old facility.

Some board members expressed concern about players being too close to the gym and perhaps using the gym as a route to the football field. "You don't want cleats in the gym," Honeycutt said.

Board member Van Shaver questioned the wisdom of windows directly behind a basketball goal especially since elementary school children, who can get a little rowdy, might be running into the windows.

Shell said an alternative would be to rearrange the plan to have the coaches offices at the either end of the gym and put the windowless storage areas directly behind the gym floor.

Breedlove said however the plan changed it was important "coaches can see the gym from their office." 

Shaver was concerned by the flat roofs in the design that will be between the higher wings of the two story part of the structure. The higher wings allow for the windows needed to implement the natural light plan.

Shell acknowledged that "water runs downhill" to the laughter of the audience but he added "we think the day lighting is such an important feature" they would work to solve any water problems to allow for the natural light solution to be used.

Shaver said that anytime a roof abuts another part of a structure, "it's gonna leak." Shell agreed saying if "you don't do it right" leaks will occur but he said the proper flashing would prevent water from getting in the building.

The Greenback School plan also has an enclosed section between two wings of the proposed structure in the elementary school area. Shell said there are a lot of potential uses for the courtyard which allows for the natural daylight to enter both sides of each wing and the enclosed nature of the area means elementary school kids will be in a secure, closed location when they go outside. Shell said the space would be ideal for outdoor learning, but it was up to school administrators how it would be used and how much landscaping they want.

Breedlove said the area was near the greenhouse used by the Career and Technical Education program and would be perfect for those students to plant flowers as part of their course work.

Board member Larry Proaps suggested everyone look at Central United Methodist Church which has a similar contained outdoor area to see what it would look like.

Board member Lisa Russell, who represents Greenback on the board, asked if students in the second story areas could use the elevators in an emergency.

Shell said that was not allowed by fire regulations, but the stairways in the elevator sections will be built so they could be sealed off for wheelchair bound students to stay safe while they await rescue. 

He added the doors and stairway areas are "rated for up to two hours" meaning a student stuck there should have two hours of protection and air in such an emergency. Shell said this plan is in keeping with state fire regulations. 

The new auditorium would be a multi-purpose area and would feature movable bleachers with arms and backs designed to seat 200 to 400 people.

The new gym would seat at least 1,000 people and might include a section of seats with arms and backs to accommodate up to 200 people - perhaps school boosters. Near the gym will be band and band practice areas as well. 

Shell said his firm would be talking to the city about making the new library planned for the school accessible to Greenback residents. 

He said if that plan moved forward the design would include security measures to make the library accessible to the public "without going into the rest of the school." He said the library area could be used by the community and senior citizen groups as well. Overall the plan is a work in progress at both schools. 

"We'll take your advise and tweak it some," Shell said of the plan for Greenback School.

With the plans not finalized and money still up in the air, board members have said any plans may have to be altered or put on hold.