In a money-saving move, the state Department of Education is giving Tennessee’s only state-run school to the county where it resides, sending termination notices to all 94 of its employees.
The Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute in Jamestown, Tenn., fully funded through state money since 1937, is the only school of its kind in the state. It was created more than 80 years ago by World War I hero and Tennessee native Alvin C. York.
Transferring funding responsibilities from the state to Fentress County comes as part of Gov. Phil Bredesen’s budget reduction plan, Department of Education spokeswoman Amanda Maynord Anderson said. The state will save about $2 million by transferring ownership to the county, Ms. Anderson said.
Though the school will not shut down and Ms. Anderson said the county most likely will hire all the employees laid off by the state, some are concerned that Fentress County cannot support another school.
“There is not a tax base that can support this school,” said Barbara Parsons, Cumberland County historian.