Howard School alumni are upset that the Hamilton County Board of Education included their alma mater on a list of schools to get new bleachers when the group has been asking for a new stadium.
The alumni have requested a stadium for decades because the school is in a flood plain that leaves its current stadium soaked after hard rains, said Kenneth "Super T" Simpson, president of the Howard High School Alumni Association.
"We are in support of a new stadium because of contamination and safety concerns for our children," Simpson said. "We have major concerns because of flooding. We have been at games on Friday and raw sewage comes up out of the toilet in the women's restroom. That's unsanitary."
Also, the bricks underneath the home side of the stadium are decaying, and the track is so deteriorated that Howard track athletes go to another field to practice.
Commissioner Greg Beck said a new stadium for the school isn't out of the picture.
He said a stadium won't happen by September, so having new bleachers will enable games on the field this fall while commissioners and other officials discuss plans for a new Howard athletic facility.
The bleachers for Howard are temporary, Beck said. They can be transferred to another school if a stadium is built.
"We're still hoping to make some progress with the idea of building a new stadium at Howard," Beck said. "I'm hopeful that within the next six months we can make some kind of announcement."
Beck spoke after the Hamilton County Commission meeting Wednesday.
The commission approved a lease agreement between the Hamilton County Board of Education and Tower Assets Newco IX LLC of certain real property owned by the Hamilton County Board of Education for the erection of a cell tower.
The commission also approved a resolution allowing the transfer of $5,000 in discretionary bond funds as allotted to County Commission District 5 to County Commission District 8 and the transfer of a like amount in general fund discretionary travel funds as allotted to County Commission District 8 to County Commission District 5.
Howard stands among seven schools scheduled for $913,600 worth of stadium repairs. Hamilton County Board of Education officials voted this month to approve the funds. East Ridge High School, where the stadium was condemned last fall, and Tyner Academy also will get new bleachers.
Four other high stadiums will get more minor repairs. Those schools include Hixson, Ooltewah, Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences and Lookout Valley high schools.
Several Hamilton County commissioners commended the school board for agreeing to allocate the funds.
In other news, Commissioner Marty Haynes commended Ganns Middle Valley Elementary School for having 100 percent of its students to read 20 minutes a day. Three years ago, participation was at 65 percent, he said.
Hamilton County Read 20 awarded the school $10,000 for achieving the goal.
Haynes also responded to a letter he saw in this newspaper's letters to the editor section this week that chastised the board of commissioners for not implementing a senior tax freeze.
In November 2006, state residents voted overwhelmingly to amend the Tennessee Constitution so the Legislature could authorize counties and municipalities to freeze property taxes for taxpayers aged 65 or older. In 2007, the Tennessee General Assembly approved an authorization act that included income limits, which vary by county.
Hamilton County is not among the 23 Tennessee counties that have adopted the program. If it had, seniors making less than $38,720 a year could qualify.
"I talked to a gentleman at church," Haynes said. "His county taxes have gone up $5 since 2007. He's a low-income senior. His city taxes, however, have gone up $222," he said. "I talked to a coworker who lives in Lookout Valley. Her county taxes have gone down $25 in the last eight years. Her city taxes have gone up $118. So my question is: who needs the senior tax freeze if the low-income seniors have held their tax rate in place since 2007? Most seniors who would qualify for this program have seen their taxes remain constant or decrease."
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.