A potential new addition for the city received some traction during Tuesday’s Elizabethton Board of Education meeting.

Officials unanimously voted to approve an assessment plan for the old hospital property located off West G Street, near Northeast Credit Community Union and Elizabethton High School, worth $9,000 to aid the future construction of a soccer complex. The complex would be used for Elizabethton City Schools, Elizabethton Soccer Association and the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County.

The purpose of having an environment assessment is to have the property in position to be remediated for possible usage from the three entities.

ECS is hoping to work alongside city government to have a lease in place to use the property. The lease would include the option of the city to reassume ownership of the property if an industry eyes the land.

Director of Schools Dr. Corey Gardenhour added the school system was able to receive a “generous” donation from local citizen Sam LaPorte to benefit the project.

The BOE was also able to learn that the Betsy Book Bus was able to surpass their fundraising goal to offer a mobile book bus during the spring for communities in the region.

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In other business, the BOE:

* recognized Hannah Roaten and Colton Grindstaff for their businesses created thanks in part to the Bartleby Program offered by EHS.

* recognized East Side Principal Travis Hurley and teacher Christy Malone for receiving the Leadership Award from the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission.

* EHS senior Sadie Whitehead, director of Bartleby Junior within the middle and elementary schools, spoke to attendees about her trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a national march for school safety. Whitehead is hoping to see a safe schools’ project at EHS, which includes ID badges and other items that could help with safety concerns.