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It takes a village to educate students.

Superintendent of Schools Arnold Bunch came before the Hamblen County Commission Monday afternoon to thank commissioners for their support of the $13.5 million bonds for recent projects at Lincoln Heights and Meadowview middle schools.

Bunch presented videos from both schools with students and staff members thanking the commissioners for approving the project to eliminate the “open classroom” concepts and replace with actual rooms. Seeing reactions on the videos, the project has made for better learning conditions for students and teachers being provided a better environment to teach.

Other improvements that students have noticed is warmer temperatures inside the schools and better conditions in which to concentrate. Many of the teachers in the videos said that they could see test scores increasing as a result.

Both schools were built with the “open classroom” concept 50 years ago.

Bunch wanted commissioners to see these videos to see how much he and the system appreciated the legislative body’s commitment to improving conditions for education.

“It shows what you’re trying to do,” Bunch said.

Bunch presented commissioners with thank you notes from some of the students, as well as a Hamblen County Schools Challenge Coin.

Bunch was impressed with the speed that both projects were completed.

“We thought it was going to take two years to complete,” Bunch said. “We now believe that the project will be done no later than probably mid-April, meaning that instead of two years, it’s going to be done in less than one.”

Bunch said that bids came in lower than expected. As a result, a project to perform similar work at the county’s last “open classroom” school at John Hay Elementary will commence soon with the leftover bond money. There may be an option at Hay to get rid of the two modular units located at the back of the building.

“It’s interesting that we’re doing this now,” Bunch said. “I went to school there in the eighth grade the first year the school opened. We’re going back to my old ‘stomping grounds’ and enclosing classrooms to make the learning environment better.