The struggle to repay money borrowed for school improvements has had at least one Grundy County, Tenn., school board member considering closing Palmer Elementary, but school and county officials are taking steps to resolve immediate money woes.
School board members voted this week to make a $250,000 payment toward the debt for renovations at Coalmont and Palmer elementary schools, Director of Schools Dr. Willie Childers said. The Coalmont school is 67 years old and Palmer is 88 years old.
The county borrowed about $3 million for the renovations a few years ago, and since then most school board and county commission representatives have been replaced. The debt will stand at about $1.94 million by the end of the fiscal year in June 2016, officials said.
Childers said school board members voted after county commissioners reviewed school funding as part of budget discussions. Commissioners had asked the school board to create a long-term payment plan, but Childers said the board's attorney believes such a commitment could be problematic.
Ultimately, taxpayers will repay the debt no matter which bank account the money comes from, he said.
County Mayor Michael Brady said the Grundy County Commission's budget and finance committee finalized all county departmental budgets, including schools, on Monday. The county budget, which Brady says maintains the current tax rate, is set for a vote Aug. 17.
Brady said commissioners want the school board to commit to annual payments on the debt, but Childers said the board must study the legalities first.
Commissioners are satisfied with school board efforts, but Brady said he hopes to start budget talks early next year to avoid any pricey surprises.
"We don't want this single item to dictate our budget and our future," he said. "We're on the same island. If the school system gets in trouble, the county government has to kick in some help, and vice versa. We've got to work together."
Childers, a former Palmer principal, said the idea of closing the school had been discussed in a workshop but not seriously. Some Palmer residents who heard rumors about closure attended Monday's meeting, but the idea had never become an action item for board members, he said.
The renovations at Palmer and Coalmont arose almost five years ago. The schools needed more space and had had some worrisome fire inspections that cited a lack of sprinklers and emergency exits in classrooms.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben. benton1 or 423-757-6569.