Work begins on converting Claxton church site to school
While construction is moving slowly on restrooms for Clinton High School’s softball field, demolition work meant to convert Christ Fellowship Church into a site for a new Claxton Elementary School has begun.
Anderson County director of Schools Tim Parrott gave updates on these construction and demolition efforts and others at a work session on Monday Jan. 6.
During the Board of Education meeting on Thursday, Jan. 9, the school board transferred $428,130 for “district construction projects,” which Parrott said included upgrading electronic locks
for doors at Clinton and Anderson County high schools, but also the inside demolitions at the future Claxton Elementary School site.
New Claxton site
The Anderson County Commission voted earlier to buy the former Crossroads Christ Fellowship Church site as a replacement for the current Claxton Elementary School.
The county will use the existing church building for part of the school, but contractors are demolishing areas on the inside to allow for changes.
“We had people from all county agencies in there getting anything they want,” Parrott said regarding taking items from inside the church building. Parrott said the interior demolition will likely cost about $72,000.
Current Claxton
building
Meanwhile, the school system plans to sell the old Claxton Elementary School campus.
Parrott said an appraiser valued it at $4.165 million.But he said the school will need to stay there for the time being, as the students aren’t ready to move into the new site yet. He also said he had “no idea” who might purchase it.
He also said the state of Tennessee plans to widen Tennessee Route 172, which runs near the school, to four lanes and add a walking and bicycle trail. However, he said the wider highway won’t overlap with the Claxton Elementary campus buildings.
CHS softball
concession stand
Parrott said he’d told contractor GCE he wanted to have the bathrooms at the Clinton High School softball concession stand ready by Feb. 15, the day practice will start. However, he wasn’t sure if they would be ready by then.
Norwood Middle School
Parrott said the school system plans to have a contractor tear down the bleachers at Norwood Elementary School and Norwood Middle School.
“We really don’t use them,” he said of the bleachers. “They’re crumbling. We’re just going to get rid of them.”
ACHS
Parrott said the school system is looking at bids for a multi-use building for Anderson County High School for activities such as such as soccer, football and track.
