CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Bradley County Commission has agreed to put up to $14.5 million toward a long-proposed central academic building for Lake Forest Middle School, increasing the county’s previous commitment to the project by another $2.5 million.
Lake Forest Middle School in Cleveland, Tenn., is shown.
Jeff YarberIn February, the Bradley County Board of Education requested the additional money after a recent reassessment of the project’s cost indicated more would be needed to build the facility, which will replace a dozen 40-year-old classroom pods spread across the school’s 75-acre campus. In conjunction with that request, the school system will put $2.6 million toward the academic building’s estimated $17.1 million bottom line, more than doubling the system’s previous $1 million commitment to the project.
On Monday evening, commissioners voted 13-1 in favor of the increased funding proposal, receiving a long round of applause from an audience packed with Lake Forest teachers, administrators, students and parents. Commissioner Dan Rawls cast the only opposing vote.
“The problem with this is that this eats up whatever potential money we might have in the future – every dime, there’s nothing left,” said Rawls, citing disbelief that the capital project could be funded by the county’s projected revenue streams without potential negative impacts. “There’s no solidity to any of this.”
Commission Vice Chairman Jeff Yarber countered that the request for more funding was made in good faith by the school board.