The Knoxville School Board is hoping to partner with the city of Knoxville on a project to benefit both the school and the city.

The proposal is for the school district to provide eight new tennis courts and a full-size outdoor basketball court across the street from the high school where the skate park is located and to have a new skate park replace the old tennis courts at Youngs Park. The courts are needed because the school district was informed last tennis season they could no longer host conference meets due to the hazardous conditions of the current courts.

The district would pay for the construction of the new courts and the city would maintain the courts after they are built. According to Superintendent Cassi Pearson, the school district has paid down their early retirement levy from 2014 which will lower the property tax rate. Because of the lowered rate the school district will ask the Knoxville voters to increase the Physical Plant & Equipment Levy (PPEL) by 67¢ per $1000 which would give the district the money needed to construct the courts. Knoxville School District Business Manager Craig Mobley tells KNIA/KRLS News even with the increase in PPEL the Knoxville residents will still see a decrease in the property tax rate. Mobley says, the drop would be approximately 12 to 13 cents per $1000 in the property tax rate.

With the potential approval approximately $1.5 million dollars would be generated for the project and other possible projects for the school. The increase request will be part of the September 12th school board election ballot. For more information about the tennis courts project, tune in for today’s Sim’s Custom Wash Let’s Talk Knoxville.