With a little over 1,900 students at Warren County High School, it comes as no surprise the school has issues with space.

During a recent School Board workshop, WCHS executive principal Clark George, along with the other grade-level principals, brainstormed about future solutions.

“I know we are a long way from thinking about another high school, but it comes up every now and then,” said School Board member Teddy Jones. “With the way it is set up now, could you easily see two separate buildings?”

Answered George, “We would be happy if we could get a 9th grade academy because it would free up a lot of space. The only room that we have left is our mailroom and that’s it. We have put people in closets and in places we have to make it work.”

Director of Schools Bobby Cox reminded everyone the cost of building a new high school is around $100 million.

“If you operate a high school of 1,500 or you operate a high school of 600, it costs you about the same amount of money to run them both,” explained Cox. “Just because the number of students is not there, you still have to operate the facility.” 

Jones interjected jokingly, “We can’t even build a barn” in reference to the AG barn project that keeps soaring in cost, earning a laugh from everyone in the room.

Continued Cox, “If we are talking about having a hard time building a barn or finishing a $3 million project … the high school they opened in Mt. Juliet two years ago, the bid was $90 million.”

School Board member James Bennett offered another potential solution.

“To me, I think if we had the money, would be to build another elementary school, renovate Hickory Creek and make it a 9th grade academy so they could pull right across the street,” said Bennett. “It would be cheaper to build an elementary school than a high school.”

Added curriculum principal Penny Shockley, “And you would also help with traffic. You would take a lot of that traffic flow out because you’ve got the 9th grade parents and all of Hickory Creek trying to pick up in the same general area.”

Although George agreed that Hickory Creek would be ideal for a future 9th grade academy, he shared another idea to increase space. 

“The other thing we had talked about was extending from the cafeteria, a wing out that way increasing the size of our cafeteria, which we need and going that way,” said George.

The workshop, held Tuesday, was for discussion only.