| Middle school debate heads back to the County Commission |
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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
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Posted: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 10:20 am
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A compromise was offered to Rutherford County’s School Board by the Budget Committee last week, but they didn’t bite.
The school board wants to build the new schools now to move more than 3,000 students out of portables at Buchanan, Kittrell and Lascassas elementary schools and free up Central Middle School to become a sixth- to 12th-grade magnet school.
During the debate over two proposed middle schools, the budget committee suggested building the schools now at a reduced price and opening one in 2010 and the other in 2012.
The school board argued the proposal would be difficult because it would be more difficult to renovate Central Middle into a magnet school and leave it with a divided student population of half magnet and half regular students until the second middle school is opened.
In the end, the budget committee approved sending the school board’s request to the full commission next week with five ayes and one abstention. Now the debate heads back to the full county commission Thursday night.
Notably, Budget Committee Chairwoman Joyce Ealy changed her vote from the previous debate. She said she couldn’t deny the savings to be found by building the schools now.
The school board has argued now it the best time to build the schools with low construction costs. Bids for both schools came more than $5 million less than expected.
County Mayor Ernest Burgess countered, while the county will see savings on the front end, it will take a hefty property tax increase to operate the schools after opening. And raising property taxes isn’t something he’s willing to endorse with today’s economic climate.
The county is currently looking at a $10 million shortfall in the general fund, not counting the school boar’s budget and the cost of opening Brown’s Chapel Elementary in August.
The request was voted down in the full commission last month before both bids were in for the schools.
Earlier this month the health and education committee approved the request.
Other Commission business:
- Hold a public hearing for a conditional-use permit request from Kay Hendrix with Lascassas Baptist Church located at 4750 East Jefferson Pike to change the existing zoning from residential to allow for a daycare center,
- Hear a resolution to authorize funding for the Smyrna County Clerk’s Building, and
- Hear a resolution to apply for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act STOP Violence Against Women grant.
To view the entire commission agenda, visit www.rutherfordcountytn.gov/agendas_minutes09/commission_a041609.pdf
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.
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