The prospect of a new Smithville Elementary School being built anytime in the near future seems to be fading after the DeKalb County Board of Education voted to rejected a request by the county commission to help fund the project. The vote happened at the board’s regular monthly meeting; this time held at DeKalb West School in Liberty.

The county commission had asked the school board to contribute $2 million from the school system’s near $10 million fund balance to help fund construction of the proposed 800-student school. The $46 million-plus project now seems unlikely with the commission struggling with the proposed construction of a new jail, or criminal justice center. Either project would most likely have to be funded through a significant increase in property taxes and/or implementation of a wheel tax.

At the Board of Education meeting, Chairman Shaun Tubbs made a motion to grant the county’s request for $2 million, subject to conditions that the county not change the scope of the proposed building project as presented by the school board, and that the county cover any cost overruns. Board member Jamie Cripps offered a second to the motion.

During the roll call vote, only Tubbs and Cripps voted in favor, while Danny Parkerson, Alan Hayes, Jim Beshearse, Eric Ervin, and Jason Miller voted no.

Those voting “no” said that they believe it is the county’s responsibility to fund school construction and that the school district should not be asked to partner in that effort.

“If they (county) were to alter that (building project after the school board grants the funding request) what would take place? Once you give them the $2 million it’s out of our hands,” said Parkerson. “If they (county) get that (board commitment for funding) and then they (county) put some stipulations on our end are we held to it or would it become null and void,” asked Parkerson.

“According to this motion, it would be null and void,” replied Board Chairman Tubbs.

“They (county commission) cannot tell us (school district) what to build. They are just the funding body,” explained Director of Schools Patrick Cripps.

“I don’t know how we could make that kind of motion without consent from them (county) to do that anyway. We could say if they agreed to it,” added board member Ervin.

Director of Schools Cripps said his primary worry is that taking $2 million from the school system’s $9.9 million fund balance or reserve account might be risky, especially at a time when the school district has other needs. In addition, Cripps said the new state funding formula for schools and proposed expansion of the governor’s private school voucher plan has created some uncertainty.

According to Cripps, the school’s fund balance, although currently strong at almost $10 million, was once more than $12 million, but the school board has spent money from it in recent years for local teacher and support staff pay raises as well as capital outlay projects without having to ask the county commission for more local property tax dollars. Cripps said if the school board grants another local pay raise in 2024-25 to staff, it would draw down the fund balance or reserves even more but in order to be able to keep as many good teachers in the system as possible, Cripps said the raises should keep coming, when possible, for the local school system to be competitive with other districts because there is a shortage of teachers across the state. Already, Cripps said DeKalb County has seen several educators who live here, leave employment with the local school system to take teaching jobs elsewhere, like Rutherford County where they can make more money.

In other business, Director of Schools Cripps announced in his monthly personnel report that high school teacher Amanda Fuller has been granted a leave of absence as requested.