Commission Approves Compromise $52.1 Million in Schools Capital Funding

VOL. 129 | NO. 93 | Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners approved Monday, May 12, an immediate infusion of $52.1 million in capital funding for Shelby County Schools and the six suburban school systems.

The compromise resolution worked out with leaders of the suburban school systems includes $4.8 million in capital projects at five of the six suburban school systems. It also keeps the $47.3 million in capital projects for Shelby County Schools a majority on the commission recommended in committee sessions last week. The Shelby County Schools list includes a new roof for Millington Central High School which is in the sixth of the six suburban school systems.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell had proposed $16.9 million in capital funding for Shelby County Schools, a proposal the commission rejected in committee.

The dollar total of the resolution approved Monday is more than the $50 million cap Luttrell and his administration had suggested spending on schools capital needs out of a total of $75 million in capital funding for all of county government. The larger amount for all capital funding is part of county governments debt policy.

But county Chief Administrative Officer Harvey Kennedy told commissioners and schools officials Monday that the administration could work with the $52.1 million amount approved and adjust the rest of the capital spending accordingly.

Shelby County government has not provided any capital funding for schools in the current fiscal year and the year before because of the historic transition of public education in Shelby County from two school systems to one merged school district and, starting with the new school year in August, seven public school systems within the county.

But $55 million in capital funding for schools was set aside by county government.

And commissioners were surprised to learn that the $5 million they approved in March for the last piece of public financing of the Crosstown redevelopment project came from the $55 million set aside for schools capital needs. Several said Monday they would have voted against the Crosstown funding had they known. Other commissioners argued that there had been no call for schools capital funding in March.

Shelby County Schools leaders wanted the capital funding before the end of the current fiscal year to avoid having to split such funding with the suburban school systems proportionately based on average daily attendance for each school system.

Link:
Commission Approves Compromise $52.1 Million in Schools Capital Funding