Wonder Where this is Headed?

Yep, the County Commission again is sending messages to the School Board -- telling the Board to cut proposed employee raises and strongly hinting that the Board will need to cut $7 million from its proposed 2012-13 operating budget. 

PTOs pay for copiers and paper in the school, bus purchases are deferred, the night school and adult ed are being merged, positions are being cut, new teachers are not being hired, textbooks are not being purchased, and the County Commission's leaders think that's just fine. 

The impact of $7 million will be felt across the district -- by teachers, students, parents, and families. 

High school teachers may again go without substitute teachers, programs may be stopped. 

One wonders how much it costs to operate the lights and seed and care for the football fields each week?

It seems likely that a heated County Commission meeting is coming soon.  One where community members stand up and ask for more funding for schools only to watch as Commissioners overwhelmingly reject such funding.  Those same Commissioners will complain that they get phone calls, texts, email messages about the issue -- nevermind that they CHOSE to run for office.  Their "NO" votes to any sort of revenue increase will surely insulate them from opposition in 2014, when they next face the voters. 

Will candidates emerge who will hold these Commissioners accountable for not properly funding schools? Will they have to answer for their record of negligence?  Or do Sumner County voters truly believe this is the best we can do for schools?  Time will tell.

But a hot summer is getting hotter thanks to the acrimony between the Board and County Commission.