Dear Mayor Dean,

We are writing today to ask that you include the requested $3.75 million for design of Hillsboro High School capital improvements in your proposed FY2015-16 Capital Spending Plan. We understand that there are other schools with Year One capital needs requests in the MNPS Capital Improvement Budget, including four other MNPS high schools. That being said, we feel that the Hillsboro High School project has great potential to improve the Green Hills area beyond the benefit to the students and MNPS. Project options are wide-ranging and may include only renovation of the current school building or a much broader plan which would have a greater impact for the entire Green Hills community through reconstruction and campus redesign. The funding for design will allow us to explore all available options for moving forward with the project.

Hillsboro High School serves over 1,200 students, including over 500 from outside the Hillsboro zone. We serve every zone in the county and have over 450 more students on the waiting list for optional school selection. We are proud of the positive energy we have created as a school community, and are looking forward to creating the infrastructure that will allow the next generation of students to succeed.

This year Nashville will have both a new director of schools and a new mayor. These leaders will have many decisions regarding the future direction of our schools, as well as the Green Hills area. The timing of the Hillsboro High School redesign creates a unique opportunity to use the improvement to the school to make an impact for the greater community outside MNPS. Approving the $3.75 million design funds will allow us to begin to create a common vision with our community partners and have the information necessary for Nashville’s next leaders to make the best plans to continue to move the city forward.

Please see the attached petition from the community members joining with us to ask for your support. We appreciate your support of Hillsboro High School.