KCS breaks ground for new school in Farragut
By Ken Lay
Threatening skies couldn’t temper the excitement for Knox County Schools Wednesday morning when the district broke ground for a new elementary school.
The new campus, which is scheduled to open for the 2027-28 school year, will be the largest school in Knox County as it will have the capacity to serve up to 1,400 students. It will feature 68 classrooms and a storm shelter.
“You look at this and we’re going,” said KCS Superintendent Dr. Jon Ryeswyk. “We try to think long-term of what this could look like for 50 years for this community, for future growth. That’s why we take on an investment on this scale. We know we have to get it right.
“When you build a school like this, it’s a once-in-a-generation thing, and that’s what we look at when you make an investment like this. This is an exciting day for Farragut and an exciting day for Knox County.”
The new school will help alleviate overcrowding at Farragut Primary and Farragut Intermediate schools. It will be located at 202 Village Commons Boulevard and will cost $43.7 million. It will be built on land purchased from Doug Horne, a graduate of Farragut High School.
“This will be the Horne Family’s lasting legacy,” said Ron Williams, mayor of the Town of Farragut. “This is one of the last pieces of land that they had.
“Doug and his family are from Farragut, and he went to Farragut High School.”
The campus will be 139,000 square feet, and Rysewyk noted that the district sought input from the community.
“It’s kind of been a two-year process for us to engage the community and really look at what the best practices are, and see what programmatic needs were for the community,” he said. “I think you’ll see a lot of the things we see.
“I think what we’ve seen more recently is a lot more small group instruction and a lot more different kinds of things for students who have language barriers or maybe some special needs.”
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs attended the groundbreaking ceremony and commended community members for making the new school a reality.
“I’m proud that Knox County is stepping up to support this vision,” he said. “Together, we are laying foundation, not merely of concrete and steel, but of opportunity, learning and a strong future for every student entering these doors.”
KCS board member Lauren Morgan, who represents District 5, was excited. She also expressed gratitude to Susan Horn, who held the seat before she did.
“I want to thank my predecessor, Susan Horn, for doing all the work to make this happen,” Morgan said of Horn, who also attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
Morgan is a parent of students in Farragut.
“I see my kids’ classrooms being full, maxed out and running out of desks and room,” she said. “As a parent, I’m excited, and as a board member, I’m pleased. This is an exciting day for Farragut.”
