KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County school board members are set to vote this week on a proposed design for a new kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school in Lonsdale, a project that would close or repurpose several existing schools and add a long-missing middle school option to the community.
The $66 million school is planned for the site of the former Rule High School and is expected to open in 2029. If approved, the project would close Beaumont Magnet Academy and Maynard Elementary School and convert West View Elementary into a preschool, according to district plans.
Supporters said the new K–8 campus would address longstanding challenges tied to small neighborhood schools, while some parents worry about losing close-knit school communities…