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Monday, April 29, 2013

County's Lack of Oversight Leads to Audit Findings

The Sumner County Commission hasn't been keeping up with recommendations to have an Audit Committee and properly review departmental budgets.  That's the takeaway from the most recent Comptroller's Audit of the County's finances.

The Audit, conducted by the state Comptroller's Office, found several repeat deficiencies in the way County departments conduct business.  These inefficiencies could end up costing taxpayers. 

Most disturbing, however, is that the state recommends that County governments have permanent Audit Committees in addition to their Budget Committees in order to carefully review state audits and recommend improvements. 

Sumner has only sporadically had an Audit Committee since 2005 (when the recommendation went into place).  Now, it appears that rather than being proactive, the Commission (chaired by Merrol Hyde) is reacting to unfavorable state findings. 

A more thorough review by the Budget Committee on the front end and the existence of an Audit Committee on the back end could have addressed these issues years earlier had Commission leaders chosen to act more responsibly.

The lack of due diligence on the part of Commissioners means the committee was formed quickly and will now have to work fast to address findings identified in the most recently list of departmental shortcomings. 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Are Sumner Schools High Performing?

The short answer is NO. 

Here's why it matters:  The General Assembly just passed legislation (The High Performing Flexibility Act) that would allow high performing school districts the same flexibility in running operations that is currently afforded to Charter Schools. 

These districts could use their own teacher evaluation system (rather than tying all teacher evaluations to student test scores), add days to the school year, or apply for waivers from other state rules and requirements so they can pursue what works best from an educator's point of view. 

Around 16 districts in the state qualify.  Sumner County is not one of them.

Yes, our schools meet the graduation requirement.  But we fall short in 3-year TCAP average (Sumner hits around a 52, required is 55) and we are a full point below the required ACT composite 3-year average (Sumner is at just over 20, the minimum for high-performing districts is 21). 

The added flexibility and freedom from onerous state requirements has many potential benefits. 

And the community should strive to have truly excellent and clearly high performing schools.  That we don't is a rebuttal to those on the County Commission who suggest that our schools are doing just fine and don't need any more investment. 

The good news is, we're not too far behind.  The bad news is, if we have annual budget battles instead of a commitment to funding excellence, our community will never benefit from having high-performing schools.

Imagine being an employer choosing where to locate in Tennessee.  Wouldn't you choose to locate your business in a high-performing school district?  And if Sumner is not in that category, we'll lose out on potential growth and investment.  Meanwhile, our students and teachers will miss out on the opportunity and flexibility afforded by this new law. 

Yes, there are 16 high performing school systems in Tennessee.  And no, Sumner County isn't one of them.  Yet.

Budget Committee Meets Tonight

The Budget Committee of the Sumner County Commission will meet tonight at 5:30 PM at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.

The agenda is exclusively focused on the 2013-14 budgets to be considered by the County Commission, including possible votes on the budgets for next year and a discussion and possible votes on financing for the budgets. 

Not on the calendar explicitly (but sure to be discussed) is the schools budget.  In the past, the Budget Committee has proposed a tax rate at meetings like this and then passed all the County Budgets except for the Schools Budget.  Effectively, this sets the amount of money available for schools for the upcoming budget year.

Of course, this happens BEFORE the School Board has finalized its budget -- which is slated to happen in May this year, earlier than ever before.  If County Commissioners were to attend the School Board budget meetings and wait to set a tax rate or budget until AFTER the Schools Budget is discussed, some of the tension between the two bodies might be resolved.

The Budget Committee is chaired by long-time opponent of school funding Jerry Stone, who once compared supporters of schools to Kool-Aid drinkers with no grip on reality (A reference, no doubt, to the Jim Jones debacle). 

Tune in tonight to see if your County Commission continues to egg on the fight with the School Board or if reason prevails and the Commission waits to hear from the School Board before setting the final budget numbers.  And by waiting, were talking about 20 days or so -- still plenty of time to get everything hashed out in June and the budget set before July 1st.  Readers may recall that it was nearly October last year before the school system had a final budget. 

Friday, April 19, 2013

Hendersonville Fire Department Gets a Boat

Yep, they'll be fighting fires from the lake in this new boat -- either boat fires or fires on homes that can easily be accessed from the miles of shoreline in Hendersonville.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Towle Takes On Hyde Regime

Star News General Manager Mike Towle is taking on Merrol Hyde and his band of cronies on the County Commission.  This time, it's over convenience voting.

Towle's point in several recent columns seems to be that a relatively small group (Hyde, Jerry Stone, Jim Vaughn, Kirk Moser) essentially control all of Sumner County politics and policy.  Readers may recall that Hyde was once BOTH Director of Schools and Chair of the County's Education Committee.  This meant he proposed the school system's budget to the Education Committee he Chaired (which passed it, of course) and then presented that budget to the Commission as Director of Schools and then recommended that budget to the Commission as Education Committee Chair.

Readers might also recall that the last property tax increase in the County (2002) occurred when the Director of Schools submitted a budget that required additional funds -- the Director of Schools then was none other than Merrol Hyde, who convinced his friends on the Commission to raise the taxes needed to fund his otherwise out of balance budget. 

Fast forward to 2011 and 2012, when the Director of Schools (not from Sumner County, not even from Tennessee) proposed budgets that needed additional revenue.  Then, Hyde, Stone, Vaughn, and Moser led a group on the Commission to lock down against any new revenue for schools. 

It seems Mike Towle might just be on to something. 

Convenience voting or no, there IS an election in 2014.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

School Board Meets Tonight -- CORRECTED Agenda

The Sumner County School Board meets tonight at 6PM at the School Board Office in Gallatin.

The agenda includes discussion of budget items, sick leave policy, and the grading scale -- taking into account new state law which requires that TCAP scores count toward a portion of a student's total grade.

The Kindergarten issue (discussed below) was previously approved at the March meeting.

State law (passed in 2012) requires that a child must be 5 years of age by August 31st, 2013 in order to enroll in Kindergarten in the 2013-14 academic year.  Thereafter, a child must reach 5 years of age by August 15th in order to be eligible.  Current policy allowed a child to enter Kindergarten as long as they reached age 5 by the end of September.

The state law allows Directors of Schools and/or School Boards to administer tests and/or establish criteria to determine Kindergarten readiness for those children whose parents would like to have them admitted if they don't meet the age requirement.

The Board has so far not recommended adopting any such criteria/procedure citing cost as an obstacle.  The district would have to pay for and administer any test that it might use to determine eligibility/kindergarten readiness. 

Monday, April 15, 2013

County Commission Meets Tonight

The County Commission meets tonight at 7 PM at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.  Among the agenda items? Formally expressing opposition to convenience voting.

Jerry Stone vs. Logic and Common Sense

Well, Jerry Stone is at it again.  Taking on common sense in a desperate attempt to hold on to the County Commission seat he holds so dear. But, this time, it's Hendersonville Alderman Scott Sprouse taking Stone on -- and not letting him get away with bizarre and just plain dumb arguments.

It's all about the controversy over convenience voting in Sumner County.

Now, here's Sprouse calling out Stone in a strong way:

BLOCK THE VOTE UPDATE: Commissioner Stone Strikes Back
Last week Sumner County Commissioner Jerry Stone fought the opportunity to promote democracy and save taxpayers more than $125,000 every election year. He made his reason very clear: his personal need for last minute politicking outweighs his support of the public good.
Commissioner Stone must be feeling the heat for being selfish enough to think such a thing but honest enough to say it. Now he is backpedaling with a bizarre explanation.
Stone wrote: "The proposal furthers the goal of those who favor moving control from local elected officials to regional centers controlled by a...ppointed bureaucrats. I will always oppose proposals to move toward centralized decision making and away from local elected officials."
Stone did a great job of using Tea Party buzzwords, but the comment is just plain dumb. Nothing in the proposal would change who manages Sumner County elections. The proposed voting centers would be managed by the same local election officials who manage the current polling places.
What's really sad is Commissioner Stone's desperate swings at those who support the proposal. When he reads that many Strong Schools founders and members support the proposal, he dismisses us as a "special interest group". (Duh! Education is a durn good special interest.) When he reads a local elected official supports the proposal, Commissioner Stone dismisses the opinion because the official "was funded by the biggest Obama bundler in the state." (Is he talking about me because our highly respected neighbor Charles Bone gave my non-partisan reelection campaign $200 or is he talking about Baker Ring or Zach Young? Either way, is that the best shot he can take?)
Maybe Commissioner Stone opposes "moving control from local elected officials" because he is afraid voters would move control from local elected officials like him.

Stone's comments reflect a degree of paranoia not normally seen in local elected officials.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Let's NOT make Voting TOO easy, Ok?

Remember just a few short weeks ago when it appeared Sumner County was on the verge of progress and convenience voting would be coming to elections?

Not so fast, say County Commissioners.

It seems the Commissioners, who voted in committee 7-1 to oppose the convenience voting centers, think campaigning only takes place on Election Day.  This despite the advent of early voting, which claims 50% or more of all voters in Sumner.  And which allows voters to vote at sites other than their designated precinct.

Perhaps fearing backlash from their persistent opposition to funding for schools, Commission Chair Merrol Hyde and Commissioners Jerry Stone and Kirk Moser all noted their opposition to making voting more convenient for Sumner County citizens.  Since low turnout typically favors incumbent politicians, it seems no surprise that these unpopular incumbents would oppose a measure that has the potential to increase turnout.

What's somewhat surprising, however, is the fact that convenience voting has the potential to save Sumner County $125,000 per election.  For a County Commission so concerned about money they wouldn't release funds to allow schools to buy textbooks, it seems shocking that they're willing to spend more money in order to preserve an antiquated voting process that depresses turnout.

Some Sumner County elected officials are speaking out, however.

Hendersonville Alderman Scott Sprouse said (via Facebook):

This is a shame. I'm for anything that makes it easier for people to vote. At least the county commissioners voting against this idea were forthright enough to admit they put their personal and purely political desire before the public good.
I'm someone who regularly spends 13+ hours standing in front of a polling place on Election Day. I enjoy seeing so many friends but I'd gladly give up the experience to make it easier for my neighbors to vote.
Sumner County voters, please remember what these commissioners said the next time you get up early or rush home from work to vote, stand in line for two hours, and later find out the wait ...at another polling place (one that you just passed) was only five minutes.
I just realized something. Fewer people vote in the county's May primaries and August general elections than in national and city elections. Maybe these commissioners realize that low voter turn out elected them and that greater voter participation, especially from working parents upset about school funding, may not reelect them.

Additionally, Goodlettsville City Commissioner Zach Young and Gallatin-area County Commissioner Baker Ring both spoke out in favor of convenience voting and against the Committee recommendation.



 

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

A Little Bit of Rezoning

sure, it only impacts 13 students.  But, it is a start.  Moving the kids from one crowded set of schools to another.  Not exactly earth shattering, but it seems sensible.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

For Car Repairs, Don't Turn to Craigslist

At least not in Hendersonville -- with the guy accused of scamming people out of cash by offering car repairs.  He's not been caught ... yet.  So, watch it!

Derri Cash -- Teaching Excellence

Derri Cash was named a Sumner County Teacher of the Year -- she teaches at Lakeside Park Elementary.  Here's more on what makes her one of Sumner's best.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Background Checks at the Doctor's Office?

Could be if you're seeking pain medication.  The program is part of an effort to cut down on prescription drug abuse. More specifically, the practice of patients visiting multiple doctors in search of pain medication prescriptions. 

Pharmacists maintain the database so that a patient is not prescribed drugs they've already received from a different doctor.  Doctors are responsible for running the checks, however, and if they don't, the patient may still obtain the drug.

It seems a delicate balance between allowing patients access to the medicines they need and preventing a few from abusing the system.

Interestingly, a background check system exists to prevent pain medicine abuse but there's not (yet) a universal background check system for the purchase of firearms.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

600 Homes Coming to Hendersonville

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen have given final approval to the Millstone development off of Saundersville Road.  The development, by Goodall Homes, will eventually have 600 units.  Based on current trends, 1 of every 2 of those homes will have at least 1 school-aged child.  That means 300 new students will be headed to the already crowded schools on the Station Camp campus. 

The building of Burris Elementary on the campus of Knox Doss Middle School will alleviate some over-crowding at Station Camp Elementary, but it is not clear how Station Camp Middle and High Schools will handle the projected influx of students.

One possibility, as yet not considered by the School Board, is rezoning the area so more students now zoned for Station Camp attend Beech High School and either Knox Doss or Hunter Middle School. 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

School Board Meets in Study Session

The Sumner County School Board will meet in Study Session tonight at 6PM at the Board Meeting Room in Gallatin.

Among the agenda items is discussion of employee insurance benefits, an issue that has been somewhat contentious of late -- especially with the insolvency and bailout of the County Insurance Trust. 

County Budget Committee Meets Tonight

The Sumner County Commission's Budget Committee meets tonight at 5:30 PM at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.  The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the Budget Review Process. 

As a reminder, the County's fiscal year ends June 30th, so department and schools budgets should be reviewed and adopted no later than that date to avoid continuation budgeting and starting school without a firm budget in place. 

Monday, April 1, 2013

Safety is on the Agenda

A trio of Sumner County Commission Committees meet tonight, among them, the Education Committee, which will hear the results of the School Safety Audit and ostensibly make recommendations to the Budget Committee about funding recommended physical improvements to school buildings.

The Education Committee meets at 5:30 at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.

Trouble in the Air?

Who is on the Airport Board? Which Board has real power? Has Attorney Art McClellan really been fired?

These questions and more surfaced as two groups, both claiming to be the Sumner County Airport Authority, met last week. 

A hearing in front of a judge may soon decide the fate of the dueling boards. 

For now, it's all up in the air.