More than 500 western Washington County elementary school students began the fall semester last month at a new $18-million-dollar school just off U.S. 11E in Telford.

Ronald Dykes, director of Washington County Schools, said during an interview this week that Grandview Elementary School, which opened Aug. 11, is one of two new pre-K-through-8th grade Washington County elementary schools that began classes last month.

The other new Washington County school, Ridgeview Elementary, did not open until Aug. 25 because construction was not finished by the Aug. 11 scheduled opening date. Ridgeview Elementary is located off Sam Jenkins Road in northern Washington County's Gray community.

A spokesman for the Washington County School System said Grandview Elementary is expected to cost (including all contingencies) a total of $18,840,000.

Ridgeview Elementary School is expected to cost a total of $19,800,000, the school system spokesman said.

Both schools encompass about 98,000 square feet and include separate wings for primary and upper-grade students. Both schools feature band rooms and dedicated areas for music and art that are separated from the other instructional areas in a noise-reduction effort.

The two new schools feature sloped metal roofs, rather than the flat "built-up" roofs commonly seen in older schools.

"Both also have high-tech security systems," Director of Schools Dykes said.

Director of Schools Dykes said Thursday that construction is not complete at either of the new schools, although the classroom facilities are finished.

At Grandview Elementary, he said, the gymnasium and media center are expected to be finished this month, but athletic fields, including a combination football-soccer field, a track and three other athletic fields that can be used for baseball and softball will not be finished in time for use for fall sports.

But the most pressing issue at Grandview Elementary, he said, remains installation of flashing school-zone signs.

Dykes noted that the Washington County Sheriff's Department has been "saturating" U.S. 11E with as many as 10 patrol cars since school opened on Aug. 11 before classes begin each morning and after class is dismissed each afternoon in an effort to slow down traffic on U.S. 11E.

Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal has asked the Tennessee Department of Transportation to consider reducing the speed limit on U.S. 11E to 55 mph from the present 65 mph limit in an area that extends from about a mile east of the new school to the Greene County line.

Dykes said he now expects the flashing school-zone signs to be installed next week along U.S. 11E.

In addition to the two new elementary schools, Dykes said the Washington County Schools System also is in the midst of extensive renovation and expansion projects at David Crockett and Daniel Boone High Schools.

Construction of the new elementary schools had been recommended several years ago, but took about five years to win funding for the projects (and the high school renovations) from the Washington County Commission.

The opening of the two new elementary schools, Dykes said, has enabled the county school system to eliminate mobile classrooms and other stop-gap classroom measures.

"We had about 20 mobile classroom units throughout system last year," he said. "We have been able to eliminate them all."