Signal Mountain Middle-High School will get six new tennis courts with lights and East Ridge High School will receive a new track, according to a resolution expected to be passed by the Hamilton County Commission next week.
“Over the past two years, we have made it a priority to invest in public school athletic facilities as they are the front door of our schools,” Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said in a news release announcing the proposal. “This latest investment will elevate two more athletic complexes to rival those of any private school in the area, becoming a point of pride for communities across Hamilton County.”
Money for the projects will come from unspent American Rescue Plan Act funds, meaning Hamilton County won’t be returning any of those federal dollars. The unspent funds were surplus from other completed projects, which were finished under budget and determined by the previous commission, according to a breakdown of the reallocated funds in the resolution.
The East Ridge High School track project will receive $350,000, and the Signal Mountain High School tennis courts project will receive the same amount.
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“I’m excited the students at East Ridge will finally have a new track to enhance their athletic experience, host community events, and build school spirit,” Commissioner Mike Chauncey, R-East Ridge, said in the statement.
Commissioner Chip Baker, R-Signal Mountain, said parents on Signal Mountain had long advocated for the new tennis courts.
“I’m thrilled to see it finally get the green light,” Baker said in the statement.
In addition to the projects at East Ridge and Signal Mountain schools, the resolution calls for $100,000 of the remaining rescue act funds to go toward a community coordinator at Tyner Academy. Another $25,000 of the remaining funds will go toward the Bakewell Community Center track repavement, and $18,791 will go to the Hamilton County Schools nurse practitioner program.
Contact Joan McClane at jmcclane@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6601.