The Daybreaker: County school system approves list of capital project wants to forward to County Commission
The 'Foundation for the Future' is a wish list of sorts that could be funded without an additional burden for taxpayers, using money earmarked for capital projects
Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:
Since 1904, First National Bank has been a part of Scott County. First National is local people — just like you. Visit fnboneida.com or call (423) 569-8586. (Sponsored content.)
School board approves capital project wish list to forward to County Commission
HUNTSVILLE | The Scott County Board of Education has officially adopted what it calls a “Foundation for the Future,” a list of capital improvement projects that it will forward to Scott County Commission for funding consideration.
The list was approved by a 5-2 vote near the end of Thursday’s regular session. “Areas of great need … throughout the school system” is how the resolution adopted by the board described the list of projects, which would be paid for using the school system’s rural school debt fund, pending approval of both County Commission and the school board.
Perhaps the flashiest item on the list is a video board for Highlander Stadium at Scott High School, but the list includes projects at all seven of the county’s schools.
The vote came only after a lengthy discussion about whether it would cost the taxpayers of Scott County and a failed effort to table the measure until a later date.
That motion to table, which was made by 7th District board member Tressa Murphy and seconded by 5th District board member Angela King, failed by a 4-3 vote, with 4th District board member Kim Kidd joining the minority.
Following the failed motion to table, the original motion to adopt the list of projects — which was made by 3rd District board member Chris Shelton and seconded by 1st District board member Tommy Silcox — passed by a 5-2 vote. Sixth District board member Llew Stanley and 2nd District board member Diane Smith joined Shelton and Silcox, as did Kidd. Voting against the measure were Murphy and King.
The list includes:
• Scott High School: The removal and replacement of fascia boards containing asbestos; the video board; flooring; and a concrete entrance.
• Robbins School: Converting the old library and cafeteria into tutoring and intervention spaces.
• Huntsville Elementary School: New flooring to remove asbestos.
• Huntsville Middle School: New flooring and bleachers.
• Burchfield School: Bleachers, sidewalks at the football field and bus ramp, fencing around the playground, new playground equipment, and possibly converting the area where mobile classrooms are currently located into a covered shelter with picnic areas and a small basketball court for middle school students.
• Winfield School: Playground equipment.
• Fairview School: Additional parking and outside lighting.
The total cost of the list of projects would be just over $1.5 million. As Hall explained it, part of that total would complete the new playroom at Huntsville Elementary School, the bids for which are to be opened at a meeting of the Scott County Finance Committee on Monday. County Commission has approved $1.4 million for the playroom using the same rural school debt funding vehicle. Hall indicated that $600,000 of the new total could go into that, leaving $900,000 to be spent on other projects, which would be prioritized once it is known exactly how much money remains after the play room project.
Murphy objected to borrowing money, saying, “We do not know how much money we’re going to have to borrow, for how long it’s going to be, and how much it’s going to cost us to borrow, is that a true statement?”
But Shelton disagreed with that assessment.
“We’ve talked about this several times,” he said. “We had this conversation at our Budget Committee. We went and had this conversation with the Finance Committee at County Commission. This gives them the approval they need to get that process going.”
As explained by county attorney John Beaty, the measure approved by the school board Thursday does nothing more than provide County Commission a mechanism through which they can begin the borrowing process. Any project, Beaty said, would “still require action by this board and the county board to move forward.”
In response to whether the proposed projects could result in an increased burden on the county’s taxpayers, Shelton said the answer is “no.”
“This is a mechanism that’s already in place through rural school funding, so there’s no need to increase taxes,” he said. “It’s earmarked for county schools … for capital projects.”
Smith said it was indicated in a work session with county commissioners last week that the issuance of $1.5 million in capital improvement bonds could be paid off in three years’ time.
Another basketball camp featuring former Vol announced by Scott High School
HUNTSVILLE | Scott High basketball coach Brent Ellis announced Friday a second summer basketball camp, which will feature former University of Tennessee standout Jordan McRae.
The camp will be held at Fairview School on May 31 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. The registration fee will be $25. The camp will be sponsored by 3rd District Scott County School Board member Chris Shelton, Oneida Equipment Co., Rogers Group, KNK Builders, First National Bank and United Cumberland Bank.
McRae was a two-time All-SEC first team player at Tennessee, and a second round NBA draft pick.
The school had previously announced a camp that will feature former Tennessee player Lamonte Turner. Turner, who was named the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year during his tenure with the Vols and currently plays in the Australian National Basketball League, will be present for that camp on June 14. The camp will be held at Fairview School’s gymnasium, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. It will also cost $25.
Both camps will be open for ages kindergarten through seventh grade. Preregistration is available.
Proceeds from the camps will go towards refinishing Scott High’s basketball locker room.
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The Week Ahead
☀️ Weather: Yet another upper low will influence our weather over the next three days, with rain and thunderstorms likely each day. We’ll probably get a break in the rain this afternoon, and it won’t rain all day the next two days, but rain will be a pretty good bet each day. After a break on Thursday, more rain is likely over the weekend. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.
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📅 Community Calendar
Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866)599-0466 for more information.
Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.
Monday: Scott County Finance Committee will meet at the Scott County Mayor’s Office in Huntsville, beginning at 5 p.m.
Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.
Tuesday: The Town of Winfield Board of Mayor and Aldermen will meet at Winfield City Hall, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.
Tuesday: Postseason sports finds Oneida High School soccer at Gatlinburg-Pittman and Scott High School soccer at Fulton. Both regional semifinal games begin at 6 p.m., and both are elimination games.
Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.
Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.
Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. For more information or requirements, call the church office at 569-8828.
Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Thursday: The Boards of Mayor and Aldermen in both Oneida and Huntsville will meet at the Oneida Municipal Services Building and the Huntsville Municipal Building, respectively. Both meetings begin at 6 p.m.
Looking Ahead: The Fairview Elementary School Food Pantry will be open May 17 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Straight Fork Community Center. Parents, grandparents, guardians or caregivers of any child attending Fairview Elementary School are eligible to receive food. No proof of income is required.
The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas operates natural gas distribution pipelines in portions of Scott and Morgan counties. Visit citizensgastn.com.
ICYMI
From last week and the weekend:
» Sunday: Both Oneida and Scott High soccer teams kept their seasons alive by avenging regular season losses in district semifinal games. The Varsity newsletter.
» Friday: Among the dozens of cemeteries found within the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, the Pennington-Watson Cemetery is one of the most mysterious. Friday Features newsletter.
» Thursday: Our E-Edition for the week of May 8 — Volume 49, Number 49 of the Independent Herald!
Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Varsity this weekend. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!
◼️ Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
◼️ Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
◼️ Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
◼️ Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
◼️ Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
◼️ Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)