Donna McConnico

When the Chattanooga Board of Education closed 16 schools in 1989, it wasn't necessarily the end of the line for the buildings.

Three are back in use as schools, one houses a nonprofit agency, another is home to a family resource center, parts of two are still being used by the city for recreation purposes and one is now part of a senior housing complex.

When the schools were closed, said Dr. James Philpott, who joined the Board of Education shortly after the decision was made to close the schools, "it was trying to combine the most services out of the money it had."

Among those schools, Elbert Long Junior High became Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, the city's second magnet school, in 1991, and the former Washington Elementary is now Washington Alternative School.

Meanwhile, the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy opened its doors in the former James A. Henry Elementary School in August as the city's first charter school and the first all-girls charter school in Tennessee.

Prior to its lease by the charter school, the building had been the James A. Henry Family Resource Center and, as of last year, had housed Memorial Health Partners, Project SOAR and the office for the College Hill Courts housing site.

Sunnyside Elementary, whose building (the original portion) was 100 years old in 2008, became Signal Centers, a nonprofit organization which exists to strengthen children, adults, and families through services which focus on disabilities, early childhood education and self-sufficiency.

Executive director Donna McConnico said the agency, which bought its building from the Chattanooga Board of Education for $1, contracts with the now-Hamilton County Schools to prepare 3- and 4-year-olds with disabilities for kindergarten.

"For us to be using this building to prepare children for school is such an appropriate use of this facility," she said. "We wouldn't have been able to function if it hadn't been for this generous donation."

Portions of the Eastdale and John A. Patten elementary school buildings exist as city recreation facilities for the Eastdale and Lookout Valley communities, respectively.

The Patten center also houses the offices of Ballet Tennessee and VanCura Ballet Conservatory.

The former Highland Park Elementary was purchased by a private party shortly after it closed, according to Jon Rector of Tennessee Temple University, and today is used sparingly by the university.

Among other things, he said, the school uses it to house its annual judgment house Halloween alternative in October.

Among other uses for the closed schools, the 1906 St. Elmo Elementary is part of Alexian Court, a senior retirement village. Oak Grove Elementary, near Highland Park, remains vacant, but plans have been floated for that school also to be a senior living facility.

Avondale Elementary now houses a Head Start/Early Head Start center for preschool children of low-income families, while Piney Woods Elementary School serves as a combination family resource center and storage facility.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Avondale Elementary, 2302 Ocoee St. (now Avondale Head Start Center)

Charles A. Bell Elementary, 3501 Central Ave. (vacant)

G. Russell Brown Elementary, 110 W. Manning St. (torn down; now parking lot)

East Chattanooga Elementary, 2800 Dodson Ave. (torn down, now homes)

Eastdale Elementary, 1314 Moss Drive (torn down; part of building used as city recreation center)

Elbert Long Junior High, 6779 East Brainerd Road (now Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts in Hamilton County Schools system)

James A. Henry Elementary, 1200 Grove St. (now Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy)

Highland Park Elementary, 700 Hawthorne St. (private ownership; used by Tennessee Temple University)

Mountain Creek Elementary, 935 Mountain Creek Road (now used as public storage facility)

Oak Grove Elementary, 1912 S. Willow St. (empty; being considered for senior housing)

John A. Patten Elementary, 3202 Kellys Ferry Road (now used as city recreation center, dance studio)

Ridgedale Elementary, 1000 Dodds Ave. (torn down; land owned by McCallie School)

St. Elmo Elementary, 4625 St. Elmo Ave. (now part of Alexian Court senior housing facility)

Sunnyside Elementary, 109 N. Germantown Road (now owned by Signal Centers)

Washington Elementary, 7821 Hancock Road (now Washington Alternative School in Hamilton County Schools system)

Piney Woods Elementary, 701 Hooker St. (now Piney Woods Family Resource Center)

SCHOOL MEMORIES

Those who attended any of the 16 schools closed in 1989 may send their memories of teachers, special activities, famous graduates and the school buildings themselves to Clint Cooper at ccooper@timesfreepress.com. Some may be used in future articles in the Life section of the Times Free Press about the individual schools.