Sumner County Commission Votes for Schools Budget

The Sumner County Commission adopted the proposed budget for Sumner County Schools for the 2017-18 school year. The budget includes 1.5% raises for teachers and most employees as well as a scale adjustment for bus drivers and an increase in pay for substitute teachers.

A solid majority of the County Commission voted in favor of the budget, while four Commissioners, including Hendersonville's Merrol Hyde, voted against. The other Commissioners voting against funding the school system's budget were Jim Vaughn, Moe Taylor, and Mike Akins.

For more on news and events in Hendersonville, follow @HvilleNews

Not a Single Meeting

Last night, as the Sumner County Commission passed budgets for the 2015-16 fiscal year, Commissioner Jim Vaughn made a surprising revelation.  He told his fellow Commissioners and those in attendance that he hadn't attended a single budget committee meeting or any other meeting related to the budget. He said he didn't know what was going on in this year's budget. He noted that the school system's budget was growing, but he couldn't say why or whether it was justified, just that it seemed like a lot of money.

Vaughn then joined County Commissioners Merrol Hyde, Moe Taylor, Mike Akins, and Steve Graves in opposing funding for all the county's budgets.

Vaughn's comments suggest a lack of engagement in perhaps the most important responsibility of a County Commissioner: How taxpayer dollars are spent. The School Board began it's budgeting process in February and held meetings related to the budget in May. After the School Board's budget meetings, County Commission committees began examining the school system's budget and other departmental budgets.

It's been two weeks since all budget hearings were complete -- time when Vaughn could have asked questions of department heads and/or County Finance Director David Lawing.

Vaughn no doubt knows all the key plays because prior to September of 2014, he served on the County Commission's Budget Committee. So, he was intimately involved in the budget- making process.

While other commissioners (Schell, Foster, Kemp) indicated they'd talked to key players about the budget during the process, Vaughn confessed to having paid zero attention to what was happening.

Before voting to oppose the budgets he hadn't studied, Vaughn asked to defer the budgets for 10 days so he would have time to read and study them. 

While he didn't have time to study the Sumner County Budgets he's been elected to review and evaluated, he did make time to attend meetings of the Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Aldermen and advocate for the budget there - a budget that includes a pay raise for the police department. Of course, Vaughn's full-time job is as a Hendersonville police detective. So, when police in Hendersonville get a raise, Jim Vaughn gets a raise.

This is not the first time Vaughn has demonstrated a complete lack of engagement in important County Commission business. Back in September and October, before a vote on setting the tax rate, Vaughn missed a month of meetings and then announced publicly he didn't understand why there was a proposal on the table to raise the tax rate.

Then, as now, Vaughn skipped key meetings and then complained to the public that he didn't know what was going on. While other Commissioners not on the budget committee attended its meetings, Vaughn did not. While other Commissioners not on the budget committee asked questions of the Finance Director and Department Heads, Vaughn did not.

All of this begs the question: What is Jim Vaughn doing?

For more on news in Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

What are We Paying Them For?

Wes Duenkel, a Goodlettsville resident who chairs the Strong Schools PAC, made the following remarks at the County Commission meeting on Monday night. His basic premise: Those County Commissioners (like Jim Vaughn) who are claiming they didn't know there would be a tax increase vote in November should have been paying attention. Otherwise, what are we paying them for?

Here are Duenkel's comments as delivered:


I would like to take this opportunity to thank the commission for having the courage to put Sumner County in a better financial position for our children. By voting to return our tax rate to what we paid 13 years ago, they put community before politics. In the face of mounting financial challenges, they made an unpopular vote; not because it was easy, but because kicking the can down the road is not how a responsible government behaves.

I understand some of my fellow citizens are angry.

They're angry that those commissioners "raised our taxes" (albeit to a rate we paid a little over a decade ago).

But I think they're angry at the wrong commissioners.

You see, I was at the November budget committee meeting, and the specially called commission meeting on November 3rd. I saw several commissioners gathered in the lobby, outside the budget committee meeting while the County Finance Director delivered a presentation on the dire financial future our county faced, and why he recommended returning the tax rate to $2.50.

Then, I saw the finance director deliver the same presentation to the full commission.

But was flabbergasted with what I heard next: some of the same commissioners who gathered outside those open doors claimed that they were surprised the commission was considering a tax increase!
Those commissioners, after they were notified of the meeting that was called with the “INTENT TO EXCEED THE CERTIFIED TAX RATE” claimed . . . they didn’t know what the meeting was about!

Those commissioners, who were elected, and are paid $500 a month, didn’t know what the meeting was about?

Those commissioners didn’t offer any alternative proposals. Instead, they complained about how long the meeting was lasting!

You bet I’d be angry. I’d be really angry if commissioners I elected, and I paid $500 a month, didn’t take the first step to understand what a meeting was about, and then complained about how long the meeting was lasting.

Rather than be angry with the commissioners that had the courage make this tough decision, I’d be angry with those commissioners who didn’t want to do the most simple aspect of their jobs: KNOW THE PURPOSE OF A MEETING.

Those looking to reduce government waste need to look no further than the salaries paid to commissioners who don't put the slightest effort toward what they were elected...and are paid...to do.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville, follow @HvilleNews

County Commission Meets Tonight at 7 PM

The Sumner County Commission will meet tonight at 7 PM at the County Commission Chambers in Gallatin.

The meeting will include a presentation on the budget and likely public discussion regarding the recently adopted tax rate.

A group of commissioners, led by former Chair Merrol Hyde and Commissioner Jim Vaughn, are seeking to delay progress on investments in schools and other county services.

Ironically, these two commissioners led the county to the brink of financial collapse while they were in charge. Now, they want to set aside any new revenue from the tax rate and delay by a year projects to improve schools and address other pressing needs.

Hyde and Vaughn led the past commission in an unprecedented raid on the County's reserve funds, acting as if the money was coming from a credit card that never had to be repaid. Hyde has also conveniently failed to mention his past support for tax increases to meet his budget needs.

While Vaughn now says he doesn't know what was going on back in October and November and wants to delay needed school projects for further debate, it seems he simply missed key meetings in August and September.

If Vaughn and Hyde are successful tonight, key building projects will not start on time. Here's a graphic showing the projects slated to begin if a bond is approved tonight:

 

 

 

For more on news and events impacting Hendersonville, follow @HvilleNews

The Unspoken Facts about Jim Vaughn's Facts

Over at the new Strong Schools blog there's a piece detailing point-by-point the issues raised by County Commissioner Jim Vaughn's recent article on taxes.

Here's that article:

In a recent article for the Hendersonville Standard, County Commissioner Jim Vaughn raised questions about the budget for our schools, specifically on the need for new investment in schools. Vaughn makes three claims I'd like to address. Vaughn's three claims are:  New investment in schools is not necessary, additional funds for personnel do not help students, and increasing support for schools will not result in improved test scores.

I'd like to begin by noting that Dr. Phillips and the School Board laid out budget plans starting July and in meetings in August. Jim Vaughn was not present at those meetings, even though they were open to the public. The budget was then voted on by the Education Committee of the Sumner County Commission on September 8th. The minutes of that meeting reflect that Vaughn was not present to raise the concerns he voiced on November 21 in a newspaper article. Finally, the School Board's budget was passed at the County Commission meeting of September 15th. At that meeting, Dr. Phillips took questions from Commissioners are the proposed expenditures. Jim Vaughn was not present at that meeting to ask questions, raise concerns, or vote against the budget. Now, more than two months after the budget passed, Jim Vaughn is complaining that he doesn't like parts of it. That's simply disingenuous.

Now, on to his first argument: Vaughn suggests we simply don't need new investment in schools. This is surprising as Vaughn represents the fastest-growing area in Sumner County. A tour of the schools in his district would demonstrate rapid growth.  In fact, over the past 10 years, Sumner County has added around 350 students per year -- or, the equivalent of an entire new elementary or middle school every two years. Part of the planned spending on schools is a 5 year plan to proactively address this rapid growth. It's a plan that maximizes existing space and efficiently spends funds. That is, rather than build a new school every two years, Sumner County will be taking advantage of and improving the facilities it has to manage growth.

Next, Vaughn expresses concern that hiring new teachers means that the School Board is prioritizing personnel over students. Pitting teachers against students is one of the most cynical approaches used by those who don't understand how schools work. Strong teachers impact the lives of students every single day. A growing system needs to have adequate staff to meet the needs of current and future students. The alternative would be larger class sizes and less individual attention. Supporting personnel in the schools directly benefits the students those schools serve. Moreover, the new school system budget includes funds to improve teacher pay and adjust staff pay. This means Sumner County can both attract strong new teachers and keep the great teachers we already have. That's a win for students and their families.

Finally, Vaughn wonders if investing in schools will have an impact on test scores. While that hypothetical proposition will only be answered in time, it is clear that those systems who consistently perform at high levels also invest significantly in their schools. Of the 10 systems that have the highest 3-year ACT average, 9 of them spend more per student than Sumner County. On average, those systems spend $1500 more per student than our system. That is to say, at the very least, there's a correlation between investment in schools and results in terms of student achievement.

I regret that Commissioner Vaughn missed opportunities in September to more fully engage in the school budget process. I hope that going forward, he'll engage with the School Board, his fellow County Commissioners, and the parents and teachers in his district in order to gain a better understanding of the needs of our schools.

Where's Jim?

Where's Jim? That's the question citizens in the 6th County Commission district are likely asking about County Commissioner Jim Vaughn following his recent column in the Hendersonville Standard.

In the column, Vaughn suggests the recently adopted tax rate came as a surprise to him. He further notes that he doesn't understand why the schools need more money and that it's not clear to him Sumner County faced financial disaster if something wasn't changed.

Vaughn might be surpised about the budget and tax issues because meeting minutes from the September 2nd meeting where Commissioners were sworn-in and assigned to committees reflect that Vaughn wasn't present that night.

Minutes from the September 8th meeting where the School Board's budget was voted on by the Education Committee indicate that Vaughn didn't bother showing up for that one, either. And, on September 15th, when County Commissioners voted on the budget for schools, Jim Vaughn wasn't present.

Voters elected Jim Vaughn to serve them by attending meetings, asking questions, and being a part of the process. But it looks like he took most of September off. No word yet on whether Vaughn will return his monthly stipend for September to the General Fund.

Vaughn did show up to the October 20th County Commission meeting. But his November 21st article suggests he wasn't aware of what was going to be discussed at a November 3rd County Commission meeting.

Vaughn says he was surprised a tax increase was being discussed in spite of public notice published on the County Commission website and in the Hendersonville Star News and Gallatin News Examiner on both October 22nd and October 31st. The notice stated clearly the "intent to exceed the certified tax rate."

Further, as a County Commissioner, Vaughn would have received a meeting packet and agenda. So, sometime in the two weeks between when he should have known what was on the agenda and the night of the meeting, Vaughn could have talked to Finance Director David Lawing and found out more about what was going to be recommended.

Finally, Vaughn asserts that the county was well-managed in the past. This must mean he suffers from the same faulty memory currently afflicting fellow Commissioner Merrol Hyde. Vaughn previously served on the budget committee. He was a part of the group that consistently recommended deficit budgets made whole through spending of reserve funds. It was Vaughn who helped craft a taxpayer-funded bailout of the county's failed insurance trust.

As County Commissioner Chris Taylor made clear in an analysis of the budget situation, before the vote to raise taxes, Sumner County was on the verge of financial collapse as early as July, 2015. This because previous leaders, Vaughn among them, steered the ship wrecklessly in the name of never raising taxes.

Now, taxpayers in District 6 are left to wonder: Is Jim Vaughn doing his job? He's not showing up to meetings, he's not paying attention to meeting notices, and he's not taking responsibility for his past failed leadership.

For more on news in Hendersonville, follow @HvilleNews

Sumner County's Portable Schools

Local grassroots advocacy group Strong Schools has a new video out highlighting the proliferation of portable classrooms in the system.

The video points to the stark reality that thousands of kids every day attend class in portables -- supposedly temporary solutions to growth that have become permanent fixtures at schools across the county. 

They also note that this is not a recent phenomenon - that some portables have been on campuses for ten years or more.

Here's the video:

A Taxing Judge

Sumner County Commissioners are on the way to creating a new judgeship in the county -- at a cost of nearly $1 million a year.  Funding the position would likely require a small tax increase (1 3/4 cents) and there are conflicting reports regarding its necessity.

Commissioner Chair Merrol Hyde, who won't support a tax increase of any kind, even for the schools he once led as Director, opposes the idea.  However, Commissioners Jerry Stone and Jim Vaughn, typically Hyde allies, are in favor of the move. They say the position is needed, though they have consistently opposed any sort of revenue increase or financial prioritization that would mean more funds for an overcrowded school system with more than 70 portable classrooms.

Creating the judgeship now would allow the County Commission to appoint a judge to fill the slot after September, 2014. That incumbent judge would then be placed on the ballot in the 2016 election.

Some have suggested that the Commission is rushing the decision in order to gain the appointment power and that at least one sitting County Commissioner is interested in being named to the seat. 

A Budget Battle Summary - 2011 to Present

It seems like it's always been going on.  A budget battle between the School Board who wants more money for schools and the County Commission who resists providing the funds.  With a school system that operates with old technology, underpaid teachers and staff, numerous portables, and PTOs and parents chipping in at least 15% MORE than what the County allocates, it seems hard to argue that the Board's recent requests for more money represent excess.  In fact, in the 2011 negotiations, the Commission found only $300,000 in expenses it deemed excessive in the scope of a $180 million budget.

That said, this article attempts to summarize the key turning points in the budget fights of recent years as we head into budget season again, starting with the Board's budget-related meeting in mid-May. 


2011

It started with a proposed CAP on school spending artificially imposed by the County Commission BEFORE the school system's budget was considered by the School Board. The School Board didn't like that idea and requested a budget that was $12 million over the cap and that would have reduced or eliminated many school fees.

After the Commission rejected this initial budget, the Board cut more than $6 million from the request and sent it back.  Commissioners Jerry Stone and Kirk Moser balked at this and suggested the schools try again.  The School Board then deferred action on the budget, taking some time to consider the most judicious cuts. After mulling things over a bit, the Board then narrowly decided to ask new Director of Schools Del Phillips to propose cuts to get much closer to the Commission's suggested budget number.

Layoffs of school employees were predicted and a centralization of bookkeepers which would have cost at least 20 jobs was considered, then rejected.  With projections growing dire, County Executive Anthony Holt joined the chorus of County leaders calling for less funding for schools.

The Board then adopted a "cuts budget" that met the County Commission's spending requirement. It was pointed out that a property tax increase of about $5 a month for the average property owner in Sumner would more than cover the School System's budget needs.  Some County Commissioners, however, were unwilling to entertain such an increase.

The "cuts budget" - narrowly passed by the Board, was kicked back to the County Commission, where members of key committees were changing just in time for key votes.

Both the County Commission's Education Committee and Budget Committee approved the cuts budget.

The County Commission then sent the Budget back to the School Board, requesting that the Board find a way to NOT cut jobs ... After the Board initially requested $12 million more than the Commission had allocated and after a month of fighting, the Commission finally gave in and offered $500,000 more to schools so that 40 jobs could be saved (which is not much money per job, really).  Textbooks, raises, elimination of fees, and added faculty for growth were all cut out.

In October, the Board indicated that the 2012 year would also require more funding -- and be more problematic to fix if the Commission did not come up with additional funds. Then, in November, the Commission put a Wheel Tax on the March ballot.

2012

With 2011 in the books and 2012 presenting a new opportunity (and a Wheel Tax vote), conditions did not improve.  In fact, as budget time drew near, things got worse. 

By February, the groundwork was being laid for what would become the 2012 School Budget Battle.

Then, there was a shortfall in anticipated state funds.

Not surprisingly, in March, voters rejected the Wheel Tax. Following the Wheel Tax vote, Commissioners Jerry Stone and Jim Vaughn indicated the schools would need to rely on "other" sources of revenue -- because no taxes would be increased.

The School system then considered outsourcing of custodial staff. And rejected due to safety and management concerns, a small initial savings, and no promise of sustained savings to the district.

In early June, the School Board reviewed an initial budget proposal -- showing a $7 million shortfall.

An initial rhetorical standoff led to discussion of cuts.

The Board then passed, earlier than ever, its budget -- with a $7 million shortfall (on June 19) asking the County Commission to fully fund it. Then, the County Commission suggested that the Board deny raises to employees for the 5th year in a row.

On July 10, the County Commission's Budget Committee denied the School Board's budget request.

Then, the County Commission passed a General Budget that meant the schools would be forced to cut $7.6 million from their initial proposal -- BEFORE the Board had considered any options.

Then, early August saw the School Board take a stand -- demanding their budget be fully-funded.  And if not, school would be out ... indefinitely.

The County Commission was not amused.

Then, more gimmicks and trickery from the Commission.

Finally, after the Board lost the standoff, made some cuts, and deferred some capital needs, school started.  And the County Commission put another Wheel Tax on the ballot.  It failed, of course, but got twice as much support (by percentages) as the March edition had. 

And now, we're in 2013.  Commission leaders are again promising no new revenue for schools.  The School System needs state-required technology upgrades and new teachers to keep up with growth.  Plus, there are employees who haven't had a raise in 6 years now.  Basic school functions (copy machines, supplies, even some teacher salaries) remain paid by parents and PTOs through fees and fundraisers.

Will the School Board pass an excellence-based budget?  And is there any chance the Commission would fund such a measure?

Stay tuned.  Summer's just getting started.

Under-funded Schools Place Burden of Basics on Parents

Without millions in school fees and millions more in PTO fundraisers, the Sumner County Schools simply could not operate.  That's the finding from a review of monies collected through school fees and an analysis of PTO expenditures across Sumner County.

Focusing on the fees, which total $1.8 million a year, the Star News and reporter Jennifer Easton talked with parents, principals, board members, and the Director of Schools. 

The bottom line:  Parents pay fees that end up covering basic costs -- like supplies for class, workbooks, computers, and even the salaries of some teachers. 

If you take into account the contributions from PTOs, it appears that parents are contributing 15-20% above the total dollars allocated to schools by the County Commission.  And that's just to operate the current program, which many consider inadequate in terms of technology, school safety, and salaries for teachers and staff. 

The School Board meets in Special Session on May 14th to discuss the 2013-14 budget.  That will start a process that will likely end with fighting in the County Commission.  It's not clear whether the Board will submit an excellence-based budget that will reduce or eliminate fees, fund technology, raise teacher pay, and move toward eliminating unsafe portable classrooms.  Even if they did, it seems an anti-school majority on the County Commission, led by Kirk Moser, Jerry Stone, Jim Vaughn, and Merrol Hyde will continue to block improved funding for schools. 

If baseball's not enough summer entertainment for you, turn to the School Board and County Commission meetings - they should be full of fireworks and ultimately, disappointment.

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.

School Safety Committee Recommends SROs

Last night, the Ad Hoc Committee on School Safety met to discuss possible options for improving school safety in Sumner County Schools. 

The committee recommended adding 13 School Resource Officers (SROs) to the schools by spring of 2014 -- they can't be deployed earlier because the committee is reluctant to recommend using reserve funds to cover start-up costs and because the training takes 10 or more weeks from the date of hire.  The plan is a five year plan to deploy SROs at all schools in the district. 

The Committee heard information regarding a request for funds from the School Board to upgrade school buildings to provide additional security.  This would be a one-time cost to address needs identified during a currently on-going assessment of the system's schools. 

At one point during the meeting, Chair and County Commissioner Jim Vaughn said the committee couldn't act on concrete recommendations because none had been submitted by the School Board.  This in spite of a December letter from Dr. Del Phillips and County Executive Anthony Holt requesting one-time money to address school safety.  The amount of the request was $5 million. 

School Board Chair Ted Wise, present despite his recent resignation from the committee, read a letter from the School Board dated January 9th and addressed to County Executive Holt and County Commission Chair Hyde.  The letter requested immediate action on a proposal to provide an SRO in every school and allocate one-time money for building upgrades to enhance school safety. 

Following that January 9th request, Commissioners in a budget committee meeting requested that the issue be deferred until a committee chaired by Vaughn could further study the issue.  The Ad Hoc Committee was later appointed and Vaughn named the Chair. The first meeting was last night - a full 50 days following the Board's request and 70 days after Dr. Phillips and County Executive Holt asked the Commission to act. 

Safe and Drug Free Schools Coordinator Pat Conner asked that the Committee or County Commission give some budget guidance.  She said the assessment of facilities will show areas needing upgrade/improvement but the solutions will vary in cost.  She asked for $3 million to be allocated for school security upgrades.  The Committee indicated that no money was currently available (they won't spend reserves) and that until they saw clear recommendations, they didn't want to discuss funding. 

County Commissioner Frank Freels, present though not a committee member, spoke and suggested that Sumner County is being pushed into doing something and that counties as close by as Trousdale were doing nothing and that was just fine. 

Commissioner Jerry Stone noted that he was unsure where the money would come from -- and it is Stone who now chairs the County Commission Budget Committee. 

County Commissioner and former Hendersonville High School principal Paul Decker noted that the SRO program was excellent and he supported expanding it to more schools in Sumner County. 

School Board member and former Portland High principal Glen Gregory said that new graduates looking to enter the teaching field will look for schools that are safe.

Danny Hurst, who manages the SRO program, noted that safe schools are key to economic development.  He noted that families moving to middle Tennessee will look for school systems with solid school safety plans. 

The Committee's next meeting will be on March 28th -- A Thursday during the week of the school system's Spring Break and just before Good Friday.

Battle Lines Being Drawn

In a continuation of the seemingly never-ending saga that is the relationship between the Sumner County Commission and Sumner County School Board, the Commission's Budget Committee recently moved to slow funding for capital projects in order to address near-term deficits. 

Of course, funding for school projects was delayed this past year as capital funds were shifted to the general operating fund in order to ease the budget impasse that caused a delay in the start of the 2012-13 school year. 

With Commissioners such as Jerry Stone and Jim Vaughn continuing to put road blocks in the way of fully-funded schools, it seems another tense budget battle is already brewing.  The Commission has yet to address the school safety request from the School Board (though a preliminary meeting is scheduled for Thursday) and the system needs about $7 million worth of computers for the new standardized tests tied to the Common Core State Standards. 

The School Board has already approved offering a retirement incentive again this year as a way to encourage more senior teachers to leave -- saving money by hiring newer teachers at lower salaries and hopefully avoiding layoffs. 

However, with computers to buy and reserves spent to the maximum last year, it seems likely that absent additional funds from the County Commission, some teachers and staff will lose their jobs. 

Jim Vaughn's Not So Secret Meeting

In spite of his attempts to keep his committee's business from public view, it appears the Ad Hoc Committee on School Safety, Chaired by County Commissioner Jim Vaughn, will hold its meetings in public.

Despite swift action on school safety in surrounding communities and a clear and direct proposal from the School Board that has been available for more than a month now, the County Commission has yet to approved funding for any new school safety procedures or facilities upgrades.  The first meeting of the Commission's Committee will be on February 28th -- 3 days after the County Commission meets on Monday.  So, it seems it will be March or later before the Commission decides if it will step up and fund recommended safety improvements in local schools.

Shhh! Jim Vaughn's Got a Secret!

That's right.  County Commissioner Jim Vaughn wants the Ad Hoc Committee on School Safety to meet in secret.  To devise recommendations in secret.  And possibly to make recommendations to the County Commission that are shrouded in secrecy. 

The problem is:  State law requires the public's business to be conducted in public.  In open meetings.  Here's another challenge:  The County Commission can meet and talk about school safety all day every day -- but the School Board sets policy for what goes on in schools.  The only role for the County Commission is if/when funding is required -- the Commission can fund or not fund the Board's requests. 

So, this supposedly secret information would have no force or effect at all unless the secrets discussed in the secret committee are shared -- publicly -- with the School Board. 

Of course, the School Board has already made recommendations on school safety to the County Commission.  And the Commission has so far NOT taken those recommendations up and is not scheduled to take them up at its February 25th meeting. 

In fact, it seems the County Commission is poised to do little in terms of school safety until Jim Vaughn's committee gets permission to conduct business in secret.  Then, of course, we won't know what they're doing because it will happen behind closed doors.