Staff Photo by Olivia Ross / Students wait in the hallway, taking a tour of the school. CSLA welcomes students back to school in their new building on August 10, 2022.Kindergarten teacher Jamie Behler was the first to open the doors of the Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts when it debuted in 1991.
Just over 30 years later, and keeping with tradition, Behler opened the doors to its brand new campus at the former Lakeside Elementary School – a long-awaited moment for staff and parents.
Wednesday was the first day of school for Hamilton County Schools. Work at CSLA is ongoing, but it’s ready for younger students, who were welcomed back to a fresh, modern building. Students toured the halls in single-file lines as their teachers pointed out the bathrooms, the music room and the “flex space,” which is serving as a gym.
Though rainstorms kept the children inside for recess, it didn’t seem to faze them – they were too excited by the newness of it all. The never-used playground would have to wait until the second day of classes.
(READ MORE: Hamilton County, Chattanooga leaders welcome teens back to school)