On the heels of a failed wheel tax referendum, County Commissioners Jerry Stone and Jim Vaughn continued to attack the School Board and deny that property taxes should be increased slightly in order to keep up with tremendous growth in Sumner County.
Stone and Vaughn point to elusive "other means" of generating revenue while the School Board faces a pending $10 million shortfall in the 2012-13 fiscal year.
Neither are willing to acknowledge that Sumner County funds schools at $934 per pupil less than the Tennessee average. Neither have been willing to address the stunning lack of adequate technological resources available for students. Neither have suggestions on how the school board could or should improve its budget, other than to just "cut."
During the 2011-12 budget debate, both men raised objections to the School Board budget and noted that was why they opposed a tax increase. They quibbled over roughly $300,000 in spending in a $188 million budget.
Meanwhile, Comm. Stone can be seen here looking at a light pole at the Beech High School athletic facility. He apparently has no problem expending County funds for this purpose but can't seem to find the creativity to use a combination of the county's ample reserves and a small tax increase that would ensure adequate funding for the system's academic needs.
At the same time, Comm. Jim Vaughn is certainly not objecting to use of county funds for a proposed fieldhouse project at Station Camp High School -- nevermind that athletic booster clubs have at other schools paid for similar projects.
It's only March, but it's not difficult to see a huge battle brewing regarding the budget for Sumner County Schools.
While so-called "leaders" fight about who is to blame, our schools suffer. How long can this last?And will the community continue to tolerate it?
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