County Commission Votes to Rezone 67 Acres in Sewanee

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
At its July 18 meeting, the Franklin County Commission voted to approve the University of the South’s request to rezone 67 acres in Sewanee from agricultural and general residential use to mixed-use, allowing for commercial development. Located adjacent to downtown Sewanee, the area to be rezoned includes 24 leaseholds.
Before a vote was taken, Chair Eddie Clark invited comments in support of and in opposition to the rezoning request.
University spokesperson Frank Gladu, Vice President of Administrative Services, spoke in support of rezoning.
“The University has been pursuing development of the downtown area for five years. The plan took 18 months to create,” Gladu said. “We want to expand the experience of visitors.”
The University retained Brian Wright with the Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative to design a revisioning plan for the downtown area.
Wright addressed the commission stressing the time spent seeking input from the community and the intent to maintain the natural beauty and unique character of the town.
“We held more than 20 community meetings,” Wright said. “We don’t want Sewanee to be overrun with tourists. We want to build on the right kind of tourism, eco-tourism, while addressing housing needs, improving the economic environment, attracting potential students and creating a village that stands as a national model for sustainability. The mixed-use rezoning will allow us to implement that vision.”
John Goodson, President of the Sewanee Business Alliance, agreed.
“Sewanee businesses are struggling. We lost two restaurants in the past year,” Goodson said.
“The rezoning will allow the University to slowly progress to make Sewanee a better place,” said Goodson.
The three Sewanee leaseholders who spoke were far less enthusiastic.
Chris Colane resides on a leasehold adjacent to the area proposed for development.
“I’m not here to oppose the project,” Colane said, “but to ask the University to respect the natural environment and to be accountable to those who have homes in the neighborhood and will experience significant change.” Colane also expressed concern the Senior Citizens’ Center would be torn down before a new building was constructed.
“The University has 13,000 acres, and they’re moving to our side of the tracks,” said leaseholder Louise Irwin. “I don’t like it when they put buildings in front of buildings,” she added referring to the drawing of the proposed village area presented by Wright.
Leaseholder Lucia Dale asked, “What’s in place to support new businesses? What is going to bring businesses to Sewanee? What will drive the economic development? What we need is affordable housing. What in the plan will fulfill that need and keep housing costs down? What’s going to make this work?”
Commissioner Johnny Hughes, who represents Sewanee, asked Wright if there were plans to have a new Senior Citizens’ Center and a new Community Center in place before the buildings now housing the programs were demolished.
Wright reassured him this was the plan.
Sewanee area commissioner Helen Stapleton said in reply, “I’d like to see these promises in writing. Now it’s just words. If the promises are adhered to, it could be a good thing.”
“These questions are legitimate,” said Clark, “but they need to be taken up later with the University. Our vote tonight is only regarding rezoning.”
The commission voted unanimously to approve the rezoning request.

County Commission Withdraws Resolution to Ban Gay Marriage

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Dec. 7 meeting, the Franklin County Commission withdrew a proposed resolution requesting the state of Tennessee reaffirm authority to ban gay marriage in the state. County Commissioner Eddie Clark said the resolution was withdrawn on the advice of the commission’s legal counsel. 

“Passing the resolution could have resulted in the county being sued and costing the tax payer legal fees,” he said.

The resolution had no legal value, Clark said, citing the U.S. Supreme Court June decision recognizing same-sex unions. Clark stressed that his personal opinion has not changed. 

“I don’t support gay marriage,” Clark said. “But I represent the taxpayers. It would not have been in the taxpayers’ best interest to expose the county to possible expense generated by a resolution that was not legally binding.”

The proposed resolution was based on a similar resolution passed in Greene County, Tenn., requesting the state to “regulate domestic relations including, but not limited to, the traditional concept of marriage as between one man and one woman.” In 2006, Tennessee voters approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions, reinforcing already existing statutes. 

Clark, along with Democratic commissioners Chuck Stines and Stanley Bean, promoted the resolution, with Clark and Stines acting as sponsors. Clark made the motion requesting the resolution be withdrawn from the Dec. 7 Commissioners’ meeting agenda.

“I don’t disagree with the resolution, and I haven’t changed my values,” Clark said.

Fifth District Commissioner Helen Stapleton, representing Sewanee, emphasized the resolution was a “non-partisan” initiative. Stapleton, a Democrat, along with two Republican commissioners, spoke out against the resolution.

After passing the resolution in September, Greene County sent the resolution to the other 94 counties in Tennessee, appealing to them for support. Only four counties have responded by passing similar motions.

Clark said the county’s legal counsel advised him the resolution could put the county in jeopardy of incurring legal fees in a lawsuit initiated by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Stapleton said she does not expect the commission to revisit the issue in the future.

School Board Asks County to Release Funds :: Monies Would Pay Off Debt from New High School

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Sept. 14 meeting of the Franklin County Board of Education, the board approved a letter addressed to the Franklin County Commission, county mayor and county attorney asking the county to release $2.5 million in funds reserved for school system debt service to pay off the debt for the new high school. The board also elected officers and approved a contribution to the health savings plans of school system employees.

Summarizing the history of the request for release of the debt service repayment funds, board chair Kevin Caroland said in 2011 the county commission passed a resolution capping annual sales tax revenue released to the schools at $3.9 million, reserving the excess for debt service repayment. Law stipulates the school system receive 50 percent of sales tax. According to the school district’s attorney, the county does not have the right to determine how the school district spends sales tax revenue.

The amount held in reserve is sufficient to pay off the debt for the new high school, Caroland said, a debt the school system has been paying off at the rate of $250,000 annually. The letter asks the county commission to abolish the sales tax cap and release the debt-service funds held in reserve for high school debt repayment.

Caroland and CleiJo Walker were re-elected to serve as board chair and vice chair, respectively, for the 2015–16 school year.

Franklin County Deputy Finance Director Cynthia Latham reviewed the Health Savings Plan insurance option recently approved by the state and now available to school system employees. Premiums are significantly lower, Latham said, but employees considering a Health Savings Plan needed to take into account the significantly higher deductible and maximum out-of-pocket expenses, totaling $4,850 annually for a family. The school system would see an average savings of $165 per month for each employee who adopts the plan. The board voted to contribute the savings to employees health savings accounts if they switched to a health savings plan.

Addressing the concern of school principals that their schools did not have the technology resources needed for students to practice for the new Common Core testing protocol, in which all testing is done on the computer. Franklin County Director of Schools Amie Lonas said she would work with Latham to try to find money in the budget to address the need. Lonas estimated the cost at $140,000.

Updating the board on the status of the Air Force Junior ROTC program, Franklin County High School Principal Greg Mantooth said currently the school system funded the program which had one instructor and 49 students. To qualify for ROTC funding the program needed two instructors and 100 students.

The ROTC will terminate the program at the end of the year if the school system did not meet the criterion, Lonas said. Caroland asked Lonas to investigate ways of boosting enrollment if the school system hired an additional instructor.

Huntland girls soccer coach Brian Norcross asked the board to consider purchasing six acres across from Huntland School for use as a playing and practice field. The team currently practices on the baseball outfield, hampering the team’s performance when they compete on a standard size field at games. The board expressed provisionary approval for the purchase and asked for more information on drainage needs and rezoning.

On the recommendation of a middle school coach, Lonas asked the board to consider revising the student-athlete drug testing policy and to switch to using urine analysis or fingernail analysis instead of hair sample analysis, which some students find objectionable. The analysis requires 40–50 hairs cut from the scalp line, 1.5 inches in length. Lonas will draft a revised drug testing policy and present it to the board for review.

In keeping with Lonas’ decision to give the board the opportunity to visit area schools, the board met at Broadview Elementary School. Lonas congratulated Broadview for earning TCAP Reward School designation.

The board scheduled a working session on Oct. 5 and the next regular meeting on Oct. 12.

Director of Schools Supports Teacher Autonomy

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Aug. 10 meeting of the Franklin County School Board, Director of Schools Amie Lonas talked about her plans “to push some of the decision-making down to the school level, both the principals and teachers.”

Since assuming responsibility as director on July 1, Lonas has met with all the school principals and many of the faculty to share her leadership philosophy. Lonas said teachers seemed enthusiastic about having more autonomy in the classroom. 

“I want the teachers to take ownership,” Lonas said, “but with ownership comes responsibility for performance and test scores.”

Lonas proposed the school board hold some of its meetings at the schools, to give the board members an opportunity to visit all the schools in the county. The board approved the suggestion. Lonas will draft a meeting location schedule.

Assistant superintendent Linda Foster said all certified positions were filled for the 2015–16 school year, with the exception of a new position for a second-grade teacher at North Lake Elementary School. Interviews would begin tomorrow, Foster said.

Lonas said enrollment had increased by more than 200 students in just the past few weeks. 

“Our current enrollment is only one student less than last year.” Sewanee has two very large classes, Lonas said, as did several other schools. Additional teachers may be needed.

In her financial report, Lonas said the school system finished the 2014–15 school year without drawing on the fund balance held in reserve for when expense exceeds revenue.

Negotiations are continuing with the Franklin County Commission for operating budget debt relief. At a July 27 meeting with the commission’s school committee, the commission asked the school board to draft a debt relief resolution taking into account the commission’s concerns. The commission is reluctant to lock the county into a long-term commitment based on sales tax, which can fluctuate widely from year to year.

The next meeting of the school board is Sept. 14.

County to Vote on School Debt

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the July 13 Franklin County School Board meeting, Director of Schools Amie Lonas announced that the Franklin County Commission would vote on the debt relief resolution attached to the 2015–16 school system budget. She also announced the appointment of Kimberly Tucker as the principal of Sewanee Elementary School [see adjacent story].

After initially rejecting the debt relief resolution passed by the school board in June, the County Commission’s Finance Committee has decided to put the resolution before the commission for a vote.

The resolution addresses the revenue shortfall in the 2015–16 school budget by relieving the school system from making payments from its operating budget on the new high school debt ($250,000 annually) and the $3 million bond ($260,000 annually). The resolution proposes that instead those debts be repaid with sales tax revenue already earmarked for school system debt service repayment.

The County Commission School Committee meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Monday, July 27, at the Franklin County Courthouse.

In other business the school board voted to approve a revised corporal punishment policy, with board members Chris Guess and Sara Liechty opposing. According to the new policy, at the beginning of the school year, parents (or the student’s guardian) will be asked to sign a Disciplinary Preference form indicating either “I consent” or “I don’t consent” to the school administering corporal punishment. If no form is on file, the school cannot administer corporal punishment.

Revisiting the subject of late fees recently assessed on utility bills for the school system, Lonas said the County Commission would reimburse the school system for the late fees charged by Winchester Utilities. When reviewing utility bills for May, Energy Education Specialist Brian Norwood discovered nearly $1,500 in late fees charged to Townsend School, Clark Memorial School and Franklin County High School. Norwood learned the bills were not received for payment until May 19 and were due on May 20. The Franklin County School System is not the only department in the city being affected by the untimely bill delivery, Lonas said.

The board next meets on Monday, Aug. 3, for a working session.

Commission Rejects School Debt- Relief Solution

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

The Franklin County Commission Finance Committee rejected the school board’s proposal for addressing the 2015–16 budget shortfall, the board learned at its June 8 meeting.

In May, the Franklin County Commission asked the school board how it could help address the $1.6 million shortfall projected for 2015–16. The board subsequently passed a debt-relief resolution that would relieve the school system from repaying debt from the operating budget, with the debt instead repaid from sales tax revenue designated for that purpose.

The school board expected that the resolution would be approved by the county commission Finance Committee.

In the budget approved by the board on June 1, the revenue shortfall was $659,000 less than in the previous draft. The new budget took into account accepting a $35,000 bid for the sale of the old Oak Grove School and removing $510,000 in debt-service payments from the budget, contingent upon the Franklin County Commission accepting the debt relief resolution.

The resolution requested that the Franklin County Commission relieve the school system from making payments from its operating budget on the debt for the new high school ($250,000 annually) and the $3 million bond ($260,000 annually) and that those debts be repaid with sales tax revenue already earmarked for school system debt service repayment.

Based on the past four years, director of schools Rebecca Sharber estimated the 2015 sales tax revenue earmarked for debt-service repayment at $552,648.

The Finance Committee of the county commission not only denied the debt-relief resolution, Caroland said, but decreased the portion of property tax revenue allocated to the school system. The property tax revenue amount was reduced by 6.5 percent compared to the 2014 allocation. Caroland provided statistics showing that since 2011 the percentage of property tax allocated to the schools has decreased, while the assessed value of property, and therefore property tax revenue, has increased.

“I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know this,” said county commissioner Dave Van Buskirk. The Finance Committee prepares a budget and presents it to the commission for approval, Van Buskirk said. The full commission does not participate in the budgeting process.

“We need a special called meeting with the county commission,” Caroland said. 

School Board Approves Salary Increases :: Continues Review of Corporal Punishment Policy

by Leslie Lytle Messenger Staff Writer

At the May 11 meeting, the Franklin County School Board approved a 2 percent raise for classified employees and a step-scale salary increase for certified employees (teachers and principals). The board also considered proposals for addressing the recurring budget shortfall and revisited the corporal punishment policy.

For the 2015–16 academic year, the school system will receive $550,000 from the state earmarked for salary increases. The 2 percent increase will be the first raise classified employees have received in several years. The total cost to the school system is approximately $100,000.

Assistant Superintendent Linda Foster proposed two revisions to the certified employees’ pay scale she presented at the May 4 working session.

Since then, Foster compared starting salaries in other area school systems and concluded a $37,000 starting salary “was higher than it needed to be to have the desired impact” of attracting good teachers. Accordingly, Foster suggested setting the starting teacher salary at $36,000 instead of $37,000.

Foster further suggested using the surplus generated by this change to raise the percentage of salary increase for teachers in the system more than 12 years. “We need to attract the very best, train them and keep them,” Foster said.

The salary increase for certified employees approved by the board for the 2015–16 academic year will cost $462,503.

The salary increase figures will be plugged into the 2015–16 budget. The board will vote on the budget at a special called meeting at 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 1, prior to a regular work session on the same date.

In response to the Franklin County Commission’s question about what they could do to help remedy the $1.6 million budget shortfall projected for next year, Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber proposed two long-term solutions for the board to consider recommending.

Looking at budget trends, the school system’s average budget shortfall is $600,000, Sharber said. The danger resides in depleting the fund balance the school system draws on to meet the budget shortfall. That balance is projected to be $2,771,000 at the end of the 2015–16 school year.

Sharber proposed the county relieve the school system from making payments from its operating budget on the new high school debt ($500,000 annually) and the $3 million bond ($210,000 annually) and that those debts be repaid with sales tax revenue already earmarked for school system debt service repayment.

Sharber’s other proposal for budget shortfall relief was an increase of $.08 per dollar in the amount the school system receives from property taxes.

Sharber will draft resolutions for the two proposals and present them for the board’s review at the June 1 working session.

Continuing the discussion on revising the corporal punishment policy, the board reviewed data for the 2014–15 school year. Four of the 11 schools in the system never used corporal punishment. A total of 45 students received corporal punishment, with more than half of these students attending Decherd Elementary (16 students receiving corporal punishment) and Sewanee Elementary (11 students receiving corporal punishment).

The trend was toward “kindergarten and first graders” receiving corporal punishment more often, Sharber said.

Board member Sara Liechty said schools should be a “safe” place, and corporal punishment can create an atmosphere where “children don’t feel safe” at school.

The revision to the policy would prohibit the school system from using corporal punishment unless parents signed a consent form at the beginning of the school year.

“Most of the surrounding school systems have a policy very similar to what we have now,” board member CleiJo Walker said in opposition to the revision.

Board member Adam Tucker, representing Sewanee, expressed concern about the school system’s liability under the present policy. “From a legal standpoint there’s a big difference between active and passive consent.” The school principals have been invited to attend the June 1 working session to voice their opinions on the subject.

County Schools Consider New Pay Scale

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the May 4 working session of the Franklin County School Board, Assistant Superintendant Linda Foster presented a revised pay scale for teachers and principals to remedy the erratic pay schedule currently in place. The board also discussed the projected budget shortfall and changing the corporal punishment policy.

Under the present pay schedule, a teacher’s annual raise can vary from more than $1,000 to zero, Foster said. Foster proposed certified instructors receive a 1 percent increase in their base starting salary after the first year, a 2 percent increase after the second year, etc. After 12 years, a teacher would receive a 1.5 percent increase. Teachers qualifying as educational specialists (those earning additional training beyond a master’s degree) would receive a $3,000 bonus after five years.

Foster also proposed increasing the starting salary to $37,000 for teachers with a bachelor’s degree (current starting salary, $34,635) and $40,000 for teachers with a master’s degree (currently $37,554).

For the 2015–16 academic year, the school system will receive $550,000 from the state earmarked for salary increases and another $123,000 designated for the salary equity fund, Foster said. The salary increases for certified employees would cost $470,000. Foster also recommended an across-the-board 2 percent salary increase for classified employees and non-instructional staff. The raise for classified employees would leave $413,000 to fund the proposed raise for certified employees.

Foster said the shortfall would likely be made up by loss of teachers through attrition and lower paid new teachers replacing retiring teachers.

“Everyone would receive a raise,” Foster said. Teachers already in the system would have their salaries adjusted to fit the new model.

Board member Sara Liechty said she would like to see the revised pay schedule recognize teachers who advanced to the level of a doctorate degree. Liechty also asked for information about the starting teacher’s salary at other schools in south central Tennessee. “They are our competition for the brightest and best.”

Foster said an incentive for teachers earning a doctorate degree could be built into the schedule. Foster will research starting teacher salaries in other area school systems.

Revisiting the proposed 2015–16 budget, board chair Kevin Caroland again expressed concern that the $1.6 million revenue shortfall would require drawing on the reserve fund balance, reducing it to $2,771,000. State law requires maintaining a fund balance of $1,200,000, 3 percent of the operating budget.

At the April 28 meeting of the school board with the Franklin County Commission, the commission asked what would help remedy the financial situation.

“We need to come back with something specific,” said board member Adam Tucker of Sewanee. Tucker suggested the board prepare a four-to-five year forecast to present to the commission to justify a request for increased funding.

Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber will prepare the forecast for the board’s June working session.

Proposing a revision to the corporal punishment policy, Tucker recommended the following language be included: “Corporal punishment shall be administered against a student only if the school has a consent form signed by the student’s parent or guardian.”

Inappropriate student behavior of the kind addressed by corporal punishment was usually a sign of underlying problems, Liechty said. “Thirty-one states don’t allow corporal punishment.”

“It works in some cases,” school board member Chris Guess said, adding that school professionals, such as teachers and principals, needed to determine which cases those were.

“I hate to take a tool out of the arsenal,” Caroland said. Caroland wanted school principals’ input before making a decision and information on effective disciplinary alternatives.

Sharber will invite the principals to the June working session. The next regular meeting of the board is scheduled for May 11.

New Officials Take Oath of Office

The oath of office ceremony for newly elected Franklin County officials will take place at 1 p.m., Friday, Aug. 29, in the Franklin County Courthouse in the courtroom on the second floor.

The Hon. Chancellor Jeffrey F. Stewart will administer the oath of office to all the elected officials including those for District 5: county commissioners Johnny Hughes and Helen Stapleton, constable Sandy Gilliam, road commissioner Joe David McBee and school board member Adam Tucker. Also taking the oath of office will be newly elected mayor Richard Stewart and sheriff Tim Fuller. Officials elected in Districts 1–8 will also be installed at this time. 

The ceremony is open to the public.

Election Results for Aug. 7 Area Races

Local residents went to the polls on Aug. 7 to elect some new faces to office and to return some incumbents to their elected posts.

In Sewanee, 599 voters cast ballots (32.6 percent turnout). 434 people voted on election day; 165 absentee and early ballots were cast.

In Franklin County, 8,434 voters cast ballots (32.7 percent turnout); 4,349 voted on election day; 4,085 voted absentee or cast early ballots.

Adam Tucker defeated Lisa Rung for the District 5 seat on the Franklin County School Board. Tucker won by a very narrow margin of 14 votes, 2 percent of the total votes cast. District 5 includes Sewanee, Sherwood and Keith Springs Mountain.

Helen Stapleton won election to the Franklin County Commission, District 5, Seat B, defeating Dan Ferguson and Art Hanson. 

Steve Blount of Sewanee carried 59 percent of the vote over Justin Angel (41 percent) in Franklin County in the race for Circuit Court Judge of the 12th District Part III. When the votes were tallied for the entire judicial district (Franklin, Grundy, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Rhea and Marion counties), Angel defeated Blount. Angel received 15,115 votes (56 percent); Blount received 11,796 votes (44 percent).

Richard Stewart was re-elected as Franklin County mayor, taking more than 51 percent of the vote, in the multi-person race.

Tim Fuller was easily re-elected as Franklin County sheriff, earning 69 percent of the vote, while opponent Mike Foster took 31 percent. 

David Alexander defeated Jack Daniel in Franklin County and across the area for the 39th District seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Although the official vote count is not complete, the tightest race in Tennessee was between incumbent Fourth District U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais and State Senator Jim Tracy. Both men have declared victory, but neither has been officially designated the winner by the Secretary of State. The unofficial results on the state’s website do not include provisional ballots, which are to be counted over the next few days, according to the Secretary of State’s office. The Associated Press has not called a winner in the race.

Statewide, 77,500 ballots were cast in the Republican primary election for the congressional seat; at last report, there was a 37 vote difference between the two men, a .045 percent difference. For DesJarlais, the unofficial count is 34,791 votes (44.89 percent); for Tracy, 34,754 votes (44.84 percent). The next closest challenger was John Anderson, who received 4,590 votes (6 percent).

In Franklin County: 73 percent voted for DesJarlais; 17 percent for Tracy; 6 percent for Anderson.

At the Sewanee box: 53 percent voted for DesJarlais, 30 percent for Tracy; 12 percent for Anderson.

“I want to thank our supporters, volunteers and all those who took time to participate in the democratic process,” DesJarlais said.

“And I especially want to thank our many friends in the Sewanee community, not just for their political support, but for the friendship they have shown the entire DesJarlais family throughout the years,” he said. 

“I made it clear from the beginning that I would proudly run on my record in Congress, and that is precisely what my campaign did. While my opponent chose to go down the path of desperate personal attacks, we stayed focused on the issues affecting Tennesseans,” the congressman said. “It is truly humbling to have been chosen as the winner of the Republican primary, and I look forward to continuing our fight for less government and more jobs.”

The winner of the Republican primary will meet Democrat Lenda Sherrell in the November election.

In the race for the U.S. Senate:, incumbent Lamar Alexander defeated Republican challenger Joe Carr. Statewide, Alexander receive 49 percent of the vote; Carr received 40 percent of the vote. Carr carried Franklin County, where he received 51 percent of the vote; Alexander received 42 percent. In Sewanee, Alexander won with 55 percent.

Unofficial election results for state and federal races are posted at <www.GoVoteTN.com>. For precinct breakdowns, county statistics and local races, go to <www.franklincotn.us/election_results/index.html>. 

Aug. 7 Election Information

Election results were not available at press time.

For details go online to <www.franklincotn.us/departments/election_commission> or read next week’s issue of the Sewanee Mountain Messenger.

Early Voting Begins; Local Candidates Express Views

The candidates running for Franklin County Commission District 5, seat B, and Franklin County School Board District 5 responded to the Messenger’s questions about the offices for which they are running. Their answers are in this issue of the Messenger, in print and online,  for your consideration. Candidate responses are unedited and published in full. 

Early voting in the Franklin County August elections begins today (Friday), July 18. Voting takes place at the Franklin County Election Commission, 839 Dinah Shore Blvd., in Winchester. The office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, during early voting. Early voting ends on Saturday, Aug. 2.

Election day is Thursday, Aug. 7. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On the ballot will be local elections including the school board, county commission, county mayor, sheriff, area judgeships, as well as party primaries for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives Fourth District.

For more information contact Margaret Ottley at the Election Commission office at 967-1893.

County Schools Facing Financial Cliff

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

Franklin County Schools will have a hard time opening for the 2015–16 school year without additional county funding, said Kevin Caroland, chairman of the Franklin County School Board, at the board’s July 14 meeting.

“We’re headed for disaster,” he said. “We can hang our hat and say we hope they come through and fund it, but nobody’s ever seen it on this board.” Officials said the county has not increased school system funding in at least 10 years.

The board approved a budget at its July meeting without an increase in revenue after the county finance committee rejected a proposed budget with a 7-cent property tax increase. 

Most Franklin County commissioners oppose a tax increase. Sue Hill, a county commissioner and member of the finance committee, said that school officials can make deeper cuts, including eliminating jobs in the central office.

“I’m not for a tax increase right now,” she said. “Their fund balance can carry them right now. You have to take into account senior citizens living on social security who can’t afford to pay high taxes. I’m 100 percent for education, but there are things that can be cut.”

School board members said they have made many cuts already.

“I think we’ve bent over backwards and tried to do everything we can do to be good stewards of the money,” said board member Chris Guess. “The cuts that we do from here on out will be detrimental to students, and they will be detrimental to teachers.”

“In this budget [that Hill says] we can cut, you don’t have to run schools buses, you don’t have to do this or that, but at what cost do you do that? I’ve gone about as far as I’m willing to go,” Guess said.

The school system has a $42.4 million budget for 2014–15, of which the state requires at least 3 percent, or almost $1.3 million, be kept in a fund balance for unexpected expenses. 

The school system is spending about $1.8 million from the fund balance this year and officials said if there are no new expenses, there will only be around $650,000 in the fund balance going into 2015–16, far less than the state’s required minimum of 3 percent.

Chris McDonough, Sewanee’s school board representative, said after the meeting that even if the board cuts teacher’s paid insurance from 100 percent to 90 percent and changes Franklin County High School’s class schedule to reduce the number of teachers needed, there will not be enough money to open school in 2015.

“Last year, I talked to a school board chair from another county where they fought their commission and refused to open school without adequate funding—he said at the end of the day, it was a mistake. The job of the board is to run the schools, even with the increasingly paltry amount the commission gives us,” McDonough said. “Given all that, I could not in good conscience vote for the budget.”

The school board approved the budget on Monday by a 6-1 margin with Caroland voting “no” and McDonough abstaining.

In other business at the school board:

The board voted 6-2 to not sell 1,000 acres at the site of the former Franklin County High School for two years in the hopes that the state will fund a college of applied technology on the site. Guess and board member Mike Holmes voted against the measure.

McDonough, Guess and Holmes questioned the effectiveness of an elementary school reading program implemented last school year. Rebecca Sharber, director of schools, said TCAP test results, which are currently embargoed by the state, do not reflect an increase in reading and language arts scores. Sharber said changes will give teachers more flexibility in the reading program and a math program. 

McDonough said when TCAP scores are released, officials should review the reading program.

The board voted unanimously to reverse a previous decision and allow 13 Huntland-area students to ride the bus to Broadview Elementary, South Middle or Franklin County High School for two more years.

Candidate Forum

Candidates running for election in the Franklin County General Election will be answering questions at a Franklin County Candidate Night, 6 p.m., Monday, July 14, at the Franklin County Annex Community Room. The event is sponsored by the Tims Ford Council. Expected to participate are candidates for county mayor, county sheriff and circuit court judge.

The Franklin County Annex building is located at 839 Dinah Shore Blvd., Winchester. 

Register to Vote for August Elections

The last day to register to vote in the upcoming August election is Tuesday, July 8. 

All voters must present an ID containing the voter’s name and photograph when voting at the polls, whether voting early or on Election Day.

Examples of acceptable forms of identification, whether current or expired, include Tennessee driver licenses, U.S. passports, Department of Safety photo ID cards, U.S. military photo IDs, and other photo IDs issued by the federal or Tennessee state governments. 

Early voting in the Franklin County August elections begins on Friday, July 18. Voting takes place at the Franklin County Election Commission, 839 Dinah Shore Blvd., in Winchester. The office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturdays during early voting. Early voting ends on Saturday, Aug. 2.

The election will be on Thursday, Aug. 7. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

On the ballot will be local elections (including seats on the school board and the county commission), area judgeships, and primaries for state elections (including the Fourth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives).

For more information about voting, contact Margaret Ottley at the Election Commission office at 967-1893.

Buses Will No Longer Pick Up Marion County Students

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

For decades Marion County schoolchildren living in the Jump Off community near Sewanee could ride the bus to Franklin County schools, but that practice is being eliminated for the 2014–15 school year. In the midst of financial struggles, Franklin County School System leaders have ended busing for students who live just outside the county.

Chris McDonough, Sewanee’s representative on the Franklin County Board of Education, said he is sad about the change.

“Some of those students may happen to be from Marion County, but they think of themselves as being part of the larger community,” he said. “My understanding is that we need space for Franklin County students on the bus. At the end of the day, the bus is funded by Franklin County tax dollars for Franklin County students.”

Those students can still attend Franklin County Schools, but transportation will not be provided for them.

No one from Jump Off spoke at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, but a group of families in the Huntland area passionately challenged the board to reverse a bus decision there. Beginning in August, a bus will no longer carry 13 Huntland-area students to Broadview Elementary, South Middle or Franklin County High School. Students can attend those schools, but now must find a ride.

“My kids don’t want to change schools,” said Derek Crawford, a Huntland father of three. “My little girl’s pretty mad about it, as a matter of fact.”

Some parents said they could not provide rides, and students will lose out because Huntland School does not offer the same programs. School leaders said eliminating out-of-county pickups and streamlining routes saves the system money and also frees up bus space.

“Out in north Franklin County, I have a bad overcrowding problem,” said Ellis Counts, director of transportation for the school system. He said at times bus drivers in north Franklin County have come close to parking and waiting for a relief bus because of overcrowding. Board chairman Kevin Caroland said school leaders will revisit the Huntland bus change at the July 14 board meeting.

In other business at Monday’s board meeting:

— Rebecca Sharber, director of schools, said eight candidates have applied to be the new principal of South Middle School. Sandra Stewart retired at the end of the school year. The deadline for applications is June 13, and she expects to hire someone soon.

— Board members continued discussion of the 2014–15 school system budget, which is pending consideration by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. If it clears the county’s finance committee, the earliest that commissioners will consider the school budget is in July. The budget includes a 7-cent property tax hike for schools. Caroland said county mayor Richard Stewart conducted a straw poll, and most commissioners said they will not support a property tax hike. If commissioners reject the budget, the school board will be forced to make deeper cuts and submit a new budget.

County School Board Requests 7-Cent Property Tax Increase

In an effort to solve the continuing budget crisis in the Franklin County School system, the board of education has requested a 7-cent property tax increase. The Franklin County Commission will have to decide whether to accept this recommendation.

The school board and Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber have been struggling to have a budget for the 2014–15 year that would have a $3 million fund balance. With the proposed property tax increase, the fund balance would be approximately $2.4 million.

At the April 7 meeting of the school board, the draft budget showed a $1.2 million shortage, which included increases in insurance costs and retirement. At that time, the board asked Sharber to come back with a budget that had a $3 million fund balance. 

Sharber reported she was unable to get there. Since then, she has been working with system staff to reduce projected expenses. Recommending a 7-cent tax increase was required to get the fund balance closer to $3 million. An earlier plan had recommended a 33-cent property tax increase. A majority of the county commissioners indicated they would not support such a large tax hike. 

Because the school board cannot levy taxes, the final decision about the increase must be made by the commissioners. There has been no increase in appropriations from the county commission to the school system for 10 years. The Franklin County commissioners will meet again on June 16.

May 6 Primary Election Results

The results of the May 6 primary elections are complete. Since this was a primary election, voters were choosing either Democrat or Republican candidates only. For the Aug. 7 election, these winners may face Independent candidates.

12th Judicial District

Franklin, Grundy and Marion counties are located in the 12th Judicial District of Tennessee; it also includes Bledsoe, Rhea and Sequatchie counties. There are three Circuit Judges that serve the 12th Judicial District.

In the race for Circuit Court Judge, 12th Judicial District Part III, Democrat Steve Blount will face Republican Justin C. Angel.

Unchallenged candidates in the District who have no opposition in August include: Thomas W. “Rusty” Graham for Circuit Judge, 12th Judicial District Part I; J. Curtis Smith, Circuit Judge, 12th Judicial District Part II; Jeff Stewart, chancellor, 12th Judicial District; Mike Taylor, district attorney general, 12th Judicial District; and Jeff Harmon, public defender, 12th Judicial District.

Franklin County

Bill Green won the Republican primary for Franklin County mayor. He will face incumbent Democrat Richard Stewart and independent Burt Brown on Aug. 7.

Incumbent Democrat Tim Fuller will face Republican Mike Foster in the race for county sheriff. Foster has been sheriff in the past.

Register of Deeds Lydia Curtis Johnson defeated a challenge from James R. Cantrell in the Democratic primary for the office. Johnson has no Republican opponent in August, so she will retain her position.

Helen Stapleton, a Democrat, will face Dan Ferguson and Art Hanson, who are running as Independents, in the August election for County Commissioner, District 5, Seat B (Sewanee/Sherwood/Keith Springs).

Unchallenged candidates in the primary who have no opposition in August include: Johnny Hughes, County Commission District 5 Seat A; Randy Kelly, county trustee; Philip Custer, county clerk; Joe David McBee, road commissioner, Districts 1 and 5; Sandy Gilliam, constable, District 5.

Grundy County

Michael Brady won the Democratic primary for Grundy County mayor, defeating incumbent Lonnie Cleek and three other challengers. Brady will face Republican Aubrey Lee Harper.

Democrat Clint Shrum won the primary for Grundy County sheriff. He faces no opposition in August.

Gayle VanHooser was unopposed and will continue as register of deeds.

Melody Knight Oliver won the Democratic primary for circuit court clerk. She will face Republican Tosha Barrett in August.

For more information go to <www.elections.tn.gov>.

County Fails to Pass Budget—Process and Planning Problems Prevent Passage

by K. G. Beavers, Messenger Staff Writer

The 2013–14 Franklin County budget did not pass at the full commissioners meeting on July 15.

“This was not directly about the special resource officer program (SRO) or the proposed 5-cent tax increase,” said county commissioner Johnny Hughes. “The concern I have is the way the budget process was handled this year.” 

“In the past, we have had budget workshops where we could talk with department heads before the budget was sent to the full county commission for a vote. This year, all the department heads took their budgets to the Finance Committee in June. Then the budget was presented to the full county commission with little discussion,” said Hughes. County commissioners received the full budget on July 3. 

“The county commission has either been doing the budget process wrong for the past several years, or we did it wrong this year,” said Hughes.

One of the main points of concern is how to pay the estimated $400,000 yearly for the SROs. On January 25, the county commission approved a budget amendment to fund the SROs. At that time, Finance Director Andrea Smith pointed out that if this budget amendment passed, the county commission would need to raise taxes, as there were no cuts to be made to pay for the program. 

The county has a maintenance of effort to meet because of this vote. “We voted for this program, and we have to pay for it,” said Hughes.

In the proposed 2013–14 county budget, funding for the SROs was to come from a 5 cent property tax increase. Many county commissioners were against a tax increase. Some county commissioners wanted to pay for the SROs through the county general-purpose fund balance. Other county commissioners think the Franklin County school board should pay for the SRO program with basic education funds.

“Each commissioner had their sticking point on this budget. My sticking points are that the highway department is being forgiven approximately $400,000 for their debt obligation, and the dead-stock removal agreement failed in a June 17 commissioners meeting for lack of a motion. But when we got the budget, the $55,000 was back,” said Hughes.

“We cannot expect the $232,000 BEP money coming to the schools to be used to pay for the SROs either. The money can be used for school safety, but the money was not specifically earmarked to pay for security.

“One option is to raise the property tax. The second option is to take the entire amount out of the fund balance. I think a third option is needed where we cut the highway department debt forgiveness down to $200,000 and take the rest out of the fund balance. 

“We will still be facing the possibility of raising taxes. The county commission has a lot to discuss.” 

Franklin County Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber has called a special school board meeting at 6:30 p.m., Monday, July 22, to discuss the possible ramifications of the delay in having a finalized 2013–14 budget. 

The county commissioners will have a budget workshop at 6 p.m., July 29, in the conference room of the Annex Building. That budget will then go to the Finance Committee in a specially called meeting on Tuesday, July 30. The full county commission will meet to vote on the budget on Thursday, August 1.

County Finds Funding for SROs in All Schools : Compromise on Budget Reached at Work Session

by K.G. Beavers, Messenger Staff Writer

Franklin County commissioners voted on Jan. 25 to implement a plan to put eight additional school resource officers (SRO) in county schools, beginning immediately.

The commission met in a special called meeting to consider two resolutions amending the county budget for school resource officer implementation at all Franklin County school sites. Resolution 1a-012513 would amend the general fund budget of Franklin County for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. This amendment was tabled at the Jan. 15 county commission and sent to the Jan. 23 work session. Resolution 1b-012513 would amend the board of education general fund budget of Franklin County for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. The school board approved this amendment at its Jan. 14 meeting.

On the first resolution, the commissioners moved to reduce the budget amount for the program from $340,000 to approximately $220,000. The provision to purchase vehicles for the officers totaling $120,000 was removed. The commissioners then voted 14-0 to approve the new amount, with $110,000 coming from the county and $110,000 coming from the school board for the remainder of this school year.

Moving to the second resolution, commissioner John Page opposed any funding plan that would use Basic Education Program (BEP) money to fund the SRO program. “The $61,000 needs to be in the schools for the teachers,” he said.

“We are not going to hire any more teachers this year,” said Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber. “The BEP money was unexpected and would roll into the fund balance anyway. We have a budget set for this year, and we are following it,” she said.

The resolution to amend the board of education general fund budget was approved by the commissioners, 13-1 (Page voted “no”). The school board will have to amend the total amount coming from the fund balance from $170,000 to $110,000.

“The resolution funded the SRO program until the end of this fiscal year, and it will take $110,000 out of our fund balance,” said commissioner Johnny Hughes. “Going forward, the worst case scenario would take about a 5-cent property tax increase. We are going to explore all options to fund the program, including grants, budget cuts in other areas and possible referendums for the people to vote on, such as a wheel tax or a sales tax increase,” he said.

“We are not done addressing this issue,” said Hughes.

At a Jan. 23 work session, the Franklin County commissioners considered the various options available to fund eight additional school resource officers in all county schools. Currently there are four SROs serving the high schools and middle schools. 

Proposals considered included adding only three SROs until the end of the school year, and then adding additional SROs over time. Officers would have been assigned to both North Lake and Broadview elementary schools, and another officer would have traveled around the county each day to visit the other elementary schools. This proposal was not a viable solution, as officials said all schools deserve equal protection.

Finance director Andrea Smith pointed out that if the budget amendment passed, the county commission will need to raise taxes in August, as there are no cuts to be made to pay for the program. 

Chairman Eddie Clark said this proposal might require a tax increase of 1.5 cents for the first year, and possibly a 5- to 7-cent increase for the following year. He said the commission would be looking for other sources of funding, including grant money.