Facilities impressive at new Signal Mountain schools

Eddie Gravitte was kind enough to conduct a tour of the new Signal Mountain middle and high schools Sunday afternoon.

It is impressive, and not just the gymnasiums but the complete facility from the media center, which us older folks used to call simply the library to the band and chorus rooms to the classrooms, cafeteria and auditorium.

Of course, it’s still a skeleton from one end to the other and we drove through mud to get to one of the closer parking lots. It is going to be special with high ceilings, a courtyard that likely will be available for those who wish to eat outside at lunch, wide hallways with lockers on one side in each of the upper and lower wings in both the middle and high schools. In addition to the computers in the media center, plans are to have a computer for faculty and at least two computers for students in each classroom. There is a dark room, storage rooms for band instruments and uniforms, a band practice area, a football locker room as big as some of those belonging to 4A schools and a weight room area that is comparable to most in the county system. There are, of course, locker rooms for basketball teams and physical education classes.

The gym will be similar to that at East Ridge, seating about 1,500 and it can double as an assembly area with a stage at one end. It probably won’t be finished until October although the school opens in September and faculty members have been told they can start moving in around the first of July.

I counted three football fields as we drove in, and I’m sure new coach Bill Price will reserve one for practice purposes. He currently has the weight room set up at the elementary school, although there will be room next to the football locker room.

Already in place are soccer fields and baseball and softball fields and somebody was playing baseball as we drove in. As I recall, those fields are lighted.

I was amazed at the wrestling room, which will have more than ample space for two mats.

Between the county’s decision to build a school on Signal Mountain and the support the school already is drawing and should continue to draw from the community, this is going to be a state-of-the art facility from both educational and athletic viewpoints. Of course, anybody with extra cash can contribute and be assured that the money will be used to help purchase computers, library books or athletic equipment.

Eddie said last week that 225 students were pre-registered but he has enrollment dates set up for late this month and again in early April. His estimate of 300 students to start the first year (grades 9-11) next fall might wind up being conservative. The school already is looking at student transfers from Red Bank, Notre Dame, Baylor, GPS, Chattanooga Christian and even Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences.