Del Phillips Works the Inbox

In the ongoing campaign for fully funded Sumner County Schools, Director Dr. Del Phillips has been waging an email and video campaign to make the case for schools.

Here's his latest letter:



Hello all,
Last night our School Board voted unanimously to send a compromise budget request back to our County Commission for funding.


This morning, I hand delivered a copy of our revised budget and a letter to County Executive Anthony Holt and County Commission Chairman Merrol Hyde requesting the County Commission schedule a special-called meeting on Monday, August 13, 2012 to consider our request for a funding compromise.

It is the School Board’s and my desire to get our students back in class as soon as possible; therefore, the Board is also prepared tonotice a follow-up Special Called Meeting for early next week to discuss and act upon the measures taken by the County Commission on Monday evening.

We are requesting that our funding body, the County Commission, provide us with an additional $2.765 million in revenue by reallocating unencumbered funds from capital outlay.


The budget adopted by our School Board last night represents our best attempt at trying to work within the limits placed on our system by our funding body without having to reduce teachers.


I want to thank everyone who has called their County Commissioner, Board Member, or attended one of the public meetings to express support for our schools. I have been thrilled with the number of people in our community who have been engaged in this debate, and I am proud to see the overwhelming support for our schools in the community.

It is my hope that commissioners will understand the needs of our school system and vote to fund our compromise budget on Monday night, so that we can get on with the business of opening schools and fulfilling our core mission of educating students.

Your Director of Schools,

Del R. Phillips III, Ph.D.