School Board Meets Tonight

With Discussion of School Safety on the agenda.

County Commission Committees Meet Tonight

Here is what they'll be discussing.

Noticeably absent is the School Board's school safety request.  That proposal will be heard by the Emergency Services Committee, Chaired by Jim Vaughn.  No word on whether that committee will take action prior to the January 28th County Commission meeting.

Vaughn, Moser Question Need for School Safety Measures

The County Commission's leading opponents to proper school funding are now raising questions about the need for upgrades to the system's security measures.

Budget Committee Chair Kirk Moser and committee member Jim Vaughn, two commissioners who led the charge against fully funding the school system's budget in August, now are raising questions about the need for additional school security measures in light of the School Board's proposal for security upgrades including controlled entrances, cameras, and additional School Resource Officers (SROs).

Director of Schools Del Phillips presented information found in a comprehensive security review of the system at a Budget Committee meeting held this week.  The review noted schools and the level of modification necessary to improve their physical security.

Additionally, the Board on Tuesday passed a proposal requesting County funds for 46 SROs -- one for each school in the county.  Currently, there are 7 SROs -- one at each high school. 

Moser accused the Board of "hasty decision-making" and essentially expressed anger that his friend and police detective Jim Vaughn wasn't consulted in the matter. 

Vaughn is rumored to be supporting a plan that would allow teachers to bring concealed weapons into school buildings. 

As a result of Moser and Vaughn's shenanigans, moving forward on the Board's proposal appears to be delayed while Vaughn's Committee reviews the proposal that was just reviewed by the Education Committee and the proposal passed by the Board on Tuesday. 

This delay begs the question of how long our County Commission will wait to take the steps necessary to ensure children are safe at our schools.  And, if school safety improvements are funded, will Commissioners Vaughn, Moser, and others then refuse to fund other needed school system improvements?

Stay tuned as the ongoing saga between our County Commission and School Board continues -- while parents, teachers, and most importantly -- our kids -- are caught in the middle.

Kimbrough: Throw the Bums Out

County Commissioner David Kimbrough of Hendersonville announced this week that he won't be a candidate for re-election in 2014.  Known for his candor, he also noted that there are 24 Commissioners who don't need to run again. 

The Commission has been bogged down in bickering in recent years over school funding and other issues.  Rather than help move Sumner County forward, personal agendas have gotten in the way of progress. 

Kimbrough did note that he will be helping recruit a candidate to run in his place and will be actively involved in other Commission races in 2014. 

School Board Requests SROs

The Sumner County School Board last night voted to add 39 School Resource Officers across the system.  The Board is asking the County Commission to fund this and other security upgrades as a result of an ongoing security review in light of the tragedy at Sandy Hook School in Connecticut. 

Currently, the system has 7 SROs in its high schools.  This move would place one armed officer in each of the system's 46 schools. 

While many parents support efforts to improve security, others worry that the County Commission is reluctant to fund truly excellent, safe schools. 

The concern may be warranted, based on a County Commission that has historically refused to adequately fund schools -- a battle which came to a head this August when the start of schools was delayed by 8 days because the Commission failed to fully fund the system's budget. 

Now that the Board has approved the request, the County Commission will take it up and decide whether or not this proposal is worthy of funding.

Forsythe Faces Embezzlement Charges

Chris Forsythe is now facing embezzlement charges for the scheme that led to the closing of his business, Forsythe Title and Escrow.  He's accused of causing losses of up to $2.2 million and could face 30 years in prison if convicted. 

Studying School Safety

Tonight, the Sumner County School Board meets in Study Session to discuss the proposal by Dr. Phillips for a review and upgrade to the system's school security.  This includes retrofitting some buildings to add security features at entrances and also placing School Resource Officers (SROs) in all middle and high schools with floating SROs in elementary schools.  The projected cost is $5 million with recurring salary costs for the SROs.

Here's the meeting agenda.