As populations mature or shift, school buildings and campuses may no longer be needed and may be repurposed or returned to Knox County for the benefit of the public. The Board will be guided by the following when determining whether to retire facilities: 

1. The ability of building to support a modern and flexible educational program; 
2. The building’s proximity to the population served; 
3. The building’s enrollment capacity; 
4. The cost of upkeep and maintenance; 
5. The ability to economically modify the physical structure to meet current building codes.

The Board will seek professional advice, either internal or external to the Knox County Schools, before making a final decision regarding the retirement of a school facility.

When it is anticipated that a school facility will no longer be needed for instructional purposes, the Director of Schools shall determine if there is a long term requirement for the facility to be used to address other school system needs. If there is not, the Director shall recommend to the Board that the facility be (1) leased to another agency or (2) declared surplus and turned over to county general government for disposal. Facilities that may be under-utilized or unused shall not be allowed to become derelict and shall be maintained in an appropriate state of repair until such time as they can be restored to full use or returned to the county general government.  If the structure is determined to have historical or architectural significance, the Director of Schools shall notify preservation organizations of the Board’s action to surplus the facility.