HAMBURG – Hamburg Community Schools Superintendent Mike Wells recognizes the enthusiasm that comes when citizens are engaged like puzzle masters to establish the pieces that would overcome heart-rending flooding, population shifts and widespread momentum toward school closing.

The school board is asking voters to approve a $3 million bond issue to construct an auditorium, fitness center and a few classrooms.

 

The way Wells describes the situation, the board is not asking for the approval because there is no other way to get the funds, but because it’s the best way to keep the community at the helm as the town and school grows.

Flooding in 2019 forced a mass evacuation of much of the population and damaged 79 homes. The plummeting census of school-aged students came at a time when Hamburg was trying to renew its high school with a charter concept. The town’s population went from 1,200 to just 800.

Wells: “In 2014 you were $400,000 negative and you were this close to the state closing you. If it wouldn’t have been for a good school board at that time, you would’ve closed just like Farragut. And today we have $1.6 million in unspent authority. You are one of the most stable school districts right now in the area.”

Hamburg opened classes for its high school this spring and Wells said the charter school is so popular he would not be surprised if there were 200 students within 10 years.

Wells: “We are coming through it very positive. They are going to be building 20 new houses this year in our community. These are family homes and we’re going to get more kids.”

He said the 250 seat, 6,300-square foot auditorium and 4,000-square-foot fitness center are the next pieces of the puzzle.

Wells: “250 seats is more than the students we have so we can do assemblies in there and, if you have things going on, people will be able to use it.”

Wells: “We’ve been responsible with the money, but you want to be reasonable with people. If you want a fitness center that is  100x 100, we can do that and there’s another million bucks. But would we really use that?

“No, we might have five or six people working out at a time and our kids 10 to 12. That’s more than we need.”

 

The school district receives about $200,000 a year from a physical plant and equipment levy and $200,000 from a penny sales tax. It also receives $20,000 from a public education and recreation levy already approved by voters.

Wells: “We can take the penny sales money and the PPEL money, with our current debt, and pay for this bond issue without raising any taxes, but we do have the ability to tax you, if we run short. But, even if we had to do that, we’re by far the lowest tax rate in the area.”

He said debt on establishing the maker space will be paid off in 2028 and previous construction debt will fall off before that. Payments for the auditorium and fitness center would not start until 2024.

An information meeting is scheduled at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6, at the school gym.