Charlene CoferCLEVELAND, Tenn. - Teachers and school administrators packed a meeting room Thursday evening to voice worries over how the Bradley County Board of Education will pay for up to $3 million in capital needs.
Two principals, Kim Fisher of Black Fox Elementary and Charlene Cofer of Waterville Elementary, fear schools will lose teachers, support staff and important programs.
"The decisions you make affect real people, not just brick and mortar," Cofer said to the board, citing the needs of the 70 to 80 percent of Waterville students who live in poverty.
Putting money into capital needs could lead to loss of intervention programs for low-achieving students -- who would not otherwise qualify for special education services -- that give them a chance to break out of poverty, she said.
"Sometimes we are the only hope that they have," Cofer said.
The biggest capital priority is the overhaul of Lake Forest Middle School, which entails replacing most of the campus' 17 pod classrooms with a central academic building. The cost was estimated at $12 million three years ago.
Meanwhile, money is needed for repairs and upkeep of the 38-year-old school, education officials said.
Fisher, Black Fox principal for 14 years, said her last two have been the best because she had the support of an instructional coach.
"We've had years where we've had more money and years where we've won more awards, but these past years have given us a focus on instruction in a very specific and consistent manner that has had a phenomenal impact on our classrooms," said Fisher.
Board member Christy Critchfield tried but failed to get board members to go on record about whether they would commit to making up to $3 million in cuts to pay for capital needs, citing a previous discussion on the matter.
Member Vicki Beaty and Vice Chairman Charlie Rose said the word "cut" had not been used previously in regard to funding capital needs.
Rose said about $900,000 could be allocated to capital needs without affecting personnel, given some debt expenses that will be paid off soon.
He said he wants to see more efficient operations without impacting "the academic progress of the children," but he was not for "laying off a bunch of people."
Chairman Nicholas Lillios and board member Chris Turner have both been outspoken about the need for "a program of savings" to meet capital needs.
"Whatever the discussion is, there's going to be some cuts," board member Rodney Dillard said about allocating between $1 million and $3 million to capital outlay.
Dillard also applauded the participation of Fisher and Cofer, urging more participation to combat the "radical thinking" taking place within the community in recent years.
"There's not many things screwed up in this county or city, so the level-headed folks have got to wake up and stand up and not let the radical groups take over our town," he said.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.