Alcoa City Schools Pershing Academy of Learning is getting a mighty facelift after the school board passed a $1.2 million renovation proposal in May.
The building, which was used as a fire hall in the 1940s, currently houses senior high school students on the first floor, but after renovation, Alcoa Director of Schools Becky Stone hopes to expand the program.
Until now, PAL has only served high school students, Stone said. The majority of the program’s students need credit recovery after having moved into the school district without the amount of credit they need. PAL helps get them caught up via a smaller, more one-on-one setting.
PAL also houses students who violated a zero-tolerance rule at their regular school, like vaping THC, as well as students who need additional behavioral support.
Stone said the need for the alternate program is growing. Teachers have started seeing issues in students who need help with social and emotional processing come into play younger. With disruptions to routines and social isolation, COVID-19 may have exacerbated an already developing issue, she said.
Stone said the plan is to expand the program from grades 9-12 to grades 5-12. The program, which gives students extra emotional and academic support, is not meant to be long-term.
The goal is to get the student into an environment that can provide them with skills, extra training and additional emotional and academic support with the end goal of getting them back into the classroom.
Stone said renovating the building would make expansion possible.
On the main level, they are looking to add a vestibule in order to have two separate entrances. Students in grades 5-8 will enter through the existing one and attend class on the main level. Students in grades 9-12 will enter the newly constructed vestibule, which will take them directly to the staircase leading to the second floor, where they will attend class.
Another considerable expense in the renovation process is the need to rewire the building completely, Stone said.
An electrical engineer assessed the current wiring and determined that it would need to be updated for safety reasons.
On the main level, renovations will also include knocking down walls to create more space and installing a second door in the conference room, which is used for group counseling.
The carpet will also need to be replaced and the staircase leading to the second floor and basement will receive new handrailing and coating.
The second level is where most renovations will occur. Stone said the floors will need to be replaced, and they are required to add an exit to keep the building up to code, so they will install a door and outdoor staircase leading down to the first level.
They will also install two bathrooms, a conference room that will also act as the main office, a counseling room for individual and group counseling and a small kitchenette.
Stone said that they cut some other renovations they were considering so that they could save money. For instance, she said they were considering new lettering on the outside of the building that would read Pershing Academy of Learning instead of PAL, but the cost was quoted at $12,000.
The priority, Stone said, is safety.
Tony Spears will act as PAL’s principal and Dr. Tracy Downs will continue her work with PAL, counseling the students. PAL will also employ a behavioral paraprofessional, special education teacher, dual certification teacher and regular education teacher. For now, this is the staff PAL will work with, but Stone says the need will likely grow as the expansion takes off.
“Our kids are worth it. We really want to invest in that social well-being and that mental health issue with our kids.”
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