School Board Donates Land for Farmers’ Market

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

The Franklin County Board of Education met on Dec. 8 and agreed to give property to the county for a new farmers’ market building.

The pavilion for the Southern Middle Tennessee Farmers Market of Franklin County will be on land primarily owned by the school system. The board agreed to let the county use 0.87 acres between the old Franklin County High School football stadium and Dinah Shore Boulevard for the 50-foot by 150-foot structure. 

The current open-air farmers’ market, which is also on school system property, will move just down the street to the pavilion, which is being funded by a $42,000 state grant that the county will match. Helen Stapleton, District 5 county commissioner, said she is excited about the farmers’ market expansion. 

“It’s a win-win for the county,” she said. “The food is fresher and healthier, and the profits will support our farmers right here and will get spent here. I’d love to see the school kids learn gardening and perhaps sell their produce to fund school projects. They’d learn a valuable lesson in science, survival and economics.”

John Ferrell, the Franklin County agent for the University of Tennessee Extension Service, said the goal is to have the pavilion completed before the market opens in April.

The land donation includes a stipulation that the property will revert back to the school system if the pavilion is not built or the market goes out of business. 

School board chairman Kevin Caroland said the contribution is a good faith gesture to benefit the community.

Responding to a request from the City of Winchester, the school board unanimously supported rezoning its property at the old Franklin County High School area from R-1 (low-density residential) to C-2 (commercial highway service district). The rezoning will clear the way for the farmers’ market, but the change is also needed if the state awards a proposed vocational-technical school to the county, which could be on that property. 

In other business at the Dec. 8 school board meeting:

Caroland announced that Jan. 19 is the final day that the Tennessee School Board Association will accept applications for the new Franklin County director of schools.

Rebecca Sharber, who is retiring as director this summer, gave an overview of how the school system uses state and locally mandated testing and assessments to develop improvement strategies. Testing data is used to create both district improvement plans and individual school improvement plans, which may include new learning programs and adjusting areas of focus, she said. 

In addition to planning based on annual tests, teachers meet weekly and use assessment data to share strategies and make action plans as part of Professional Learning Communities.

Board member Adam Tucker requested the presentation during the November board meeting and said he may have additional specific questions for Sharber on how testing data is utilized. Sharber said she will provide board members with individual school improvement plans and information about the “Study Island” software program used by students. 

During a Dec. 2 public forum with Tucker hosted by the Sewanee Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization, people in attendance heavily criticized the amount of required testing programs.