SMYRNA, TN - The construction of a $41.6-million expansion is underway right now at the Rutherford County operated Smyrna High School… That was Rutherford County School Board Chair Tammy Sharp, who said Smyrna High Principal Sherri Southerland has suggested their school will need a golf cart to quickly navigate the exterior of the school, because construction has made it hard to get across campus in a timely manner. 

The expansion projects at both Riverdale and Oakland High Schools add up to a little more than $94 million, or roughly $41 million each. Blackman High is expanding at a cost of $34.3 million, while the expansion at LaVergne High will be $43.6 million.

Like Smyrna High, staff and students at Riverdale and Oakland High Schools will soon have trouble getting around their campuses as well, because construction is about to begin… Riverdale and Oakland are still obtaining permits to move forward with construction.

Because the expansion project will make the courtyard of Riverdale inaccessible, students will have to walk around the exterior of the school or through the interior, to get to the annex building or gym for classes. Therefore, bell times between classes have already been extended by 2 minutes, allowing students 8 minutes to get to and from class.  

On a positive sidenote, Siegel High School’s football team will be seeing major upgrades to their field, thanks to a kind donations by a local companie. They're currently installing new artificial turf for their which will be ready for this season. 

Smyrna & Stewarts Creek High School’s installation of turf was completed last year. Oakland was the first team to install field turf followed by Blackman.

Artificial turf fields provide many benefits, most notably longer-lasting, durable fields which will be used by multiple sports and teams. All of the turf fields are funded by boosters and local businesses and not county tax dollars.

• WGNS’ Bryan Barrett recently spoke to School Board Chair Tammy Sharp. Hear that interview HERE.