SODDY-DAISY — Hamilton County Schools released plans and a timeline Monday for the renovation of Soddy Daisy Middle — an investment officials said they hoped would send a message to students about the community’s hopes and expectations for them.
The renovations are expected to be completed in fall 2029.
“This facility will improve outcomes in the fine arts for our kids,” Superintendent Justin Robertson said during a press conference. “It’s going to improve connections through athletics, whether through the fields or new gymnasium, to make sure that our kids want to come to school. And that’s what it’s about.”
The project is being funded with $34 million from the county’s facilities bond. It includes modernizing classrooms, a new gymnasium and upgrading the cafeteria, officials said in a press release.
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When Hamilton County officials first presented the school facilities plan in August 2023, the plan called for Soddy Daisy Middle’s students to be relocated to create a K-12 experience on the shared campus of Daisy Elementary and Soddy Daisy High. Community members pushed for the existing building to be renovated, and in November 2024, the Hamilton County school board approved updating the middle school.
The district is seeking proposals from construction managers for the project, and construction is scheduled to start in fall 2026. The construction will be done in two phases to minimize disruption on campus, officials said in a press release, and it is not expected to impact daily school operations.
“Teachers are very excited about the change that it will bring, which may be a little difficult and compress people for a time,” Principal Karyn Cox said during the press conference. “But looking to the future and what this will do for the town of Soddy-Daisy, our students and our community in general, we’re really, really excited.”
The hope and intent is that the new facility reflects not only a commitment to the Soddy-Daisy community and a confidence in its educators, Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said, but also reflects the expectations for the school.
Hamilton County officials announce timeline for Soddy Daisy Middle renovation
“There’s not a single project that we’ll take on in my first term in office that I have more confidence about its impact on the people of our county than this investment in Soddy Daisy Middle School,” he said during the press conference. “From a risk standpoint, it’s the one that I’m the most confident in. It is a certain return on investment economically for the whole community. It’s not just Soddy-Daisy. It has ramifications on downtown Chattanooga.”
Once completed, Soddy Daisy Middle will serve up to 650 students to accommodate projected growth in the area. It currently serves 435 students, according to the district’s 20th day enrollment numbers.
“We think that you have to create opportunity by design,” Robertson told reporters. “From the design of this building to the programming that’s going to be in it, it’s going to create opportunities for kids, not just here now, but for generations to come.”
Contact education reporter Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.