Jefferson County School Board – Jefferson Elementary School Renovation, Bus Driver Bonus Among Items Considered
Jefferson County Girls Golf Team
Talbott Principal Sandi Ramey and Director of Schools Tommy Arnold
TNDOE Dinstinction of Reward School 2021-2022, Jefferson Elementary Principal Craig Day (not pictured), Piedmont Elementary Principal Julie Allen, (not pictured)
Last week the Jefferson County School Board met for their regular work session and monthly meeting. In consideration of timing, recognition for students and staff were moved to the front of the work session agenda. The JCHS Girl’s Golf Team and Jefferson County Reward Schools were introduced for their achievements. One of the actionable items for the voting meeting was to address a request from the County Commission to provide the Commission with a detailed assessment on the cost to renovate Jefferson Elementary School. For several months, the Jefferson County Commission has denied funding for a new Jefferson Elementary School while acknowledging that needs do exist at the current facility. The Jefferson County School Board has pursued a building option for Jefferson Elementary School that could utilize DOE owned property that historically has been the home to the Jefferson County Fair. The School Board estimated the cost to provide the requested information would be in the neighborhood of $250,000. The Board approved a motion to ask the Jefferson County Commission to split the cost of the renovation information which would require $125,000 from each group. Tuesday evening, the Jefferson County Budget Committee failed to approve the request for a funding split, leaving the decision to fully fund with the Jefferson County School Board.
In other action, new school board member, Doug Ibbetson could not get enough traction for approval on his motion to give school bus drivers that drive a regular route a $500 bonus and part time drivers a $250 bonus to stem the exodus of drivers from Jefferson County to other locations. The Board did approved just north of $714,000 to complete HVAC for school gyms and a $1million dollar loan from the Jefferson County School’s General Fund to the Federal Fund to allow for bills to be paid before the allocation of federal monies from the state and federal government. Several policies were approved, as was a motion to allow the fair to use the fair ground site for 2023 providing there is a an escape clause in the contract in case approval for a new Jefferson Elementary School does come to fruition. According to Jefferson County Finance Director Elder the DOE general fund balance was at $9,975,000 prior to the meeting.
