CSLA Parents, Students Gather to Protest

Описание: A group of concerned parents from Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts (CSLA) are camped out on the lawn of the Hamilton County Courthouse. They say they will stay there as long as they need to. They claim they're being slighted and the need for a brand new school is a priority. Last Wednesday, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger recommended the county fund four out of the six school projects that Superintendent Rick Smith says is at the top of the school district's priority list. That includes building a new Ganns Middle Valley Elementary, expanding Sale Creek Middle High School and making additions to Nolan Elementary and Wolftever Elementary.We need it, we've been waiting too long, says parent Maria Eargle.Maria Eargle has two boys at CSLA. She's like many parents who have been protesting since Sunday. They're hoping that county commissioners will consider the funding of a new CSLA as a priority. We were promised a new school over 20-years ago and we keep getting bumped from the list and it's time, it's our time, says parent Dana Clecklar. Monday, at the school we saw leaky ceilings, cracked walls, rusted portable trailers, and parts of the building that are falling apart. There's also no central air in the building, and for the past few months, the hot water hasn't worked in the student restrooms.We don't have any kind of facilities that are equipped for students with disabilities, we don't have ramps, we don't have elevators, says Eargle. The shortage of classroom space is obvious at the school - that's why teachers share the auditorium daily to teach.A new CSLA will alleviate overcrowding for all of the districts, says parent Jenny McMahon. While parents say they need a brand new school building, they also want to expand from K-8th grades -all the way through high school. Our students currently are bused in the 9th Grade down to CSAS, and they're overcrowded, and we would like for our kids to stay at CSLA through graduation, says Clecklar. CSLA is a nationally recognized school - one many parents say deserves to be rebuilt or at least improved. We're a national blue ribbon school and we're in the top magnet schools in America and we're in the top 10 percent in test scores in America, says Clecklar. Dana Clecklar says the funding issue for schools has been a problem for decades in Hamilton County and it's time commissioners need to take action. I believe the county needs to release more of our tax dollars to go and build the infrastructure of their schools back, they've let it go for too long, says Clecklar. The CSLA parents want to be clear, they support the funding of the other four school projects, but they want to be considered as a priority as well. NewsChannel 9 reached out to every county commissioner Monday for a comment, only two of them called us back both not giving a public comment. We also called Schools superintendent Rick Smith to find out more about how the priority schools were selected, we are still waiting on his call back. The county commission is expected to vote on the funding of the four school projects on Wednesday. Depend on us to let you know how that vote turns out. By Jerry Askin________________________________________________________________________Previous StoryDozens of parents and students gathered in front of the Hamilton County courthouse Monday morning to protest a proposed budget that omits funding for a new Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts.Parents said they planned to stay at the location through Wednesday, when the County Commission is scheduled to vote on the proposal from Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger.Children held signs supporting the school on Sunday afternoon and shouted and waved to passing cars.Coppinger has said the county has enough funds to complete four of the school system's six recommended school projects. His proposed budget left out the new building for the arts school and a new middle school in the East Hamilton area.Photo by Jerry Askin, NewsChannel 9