Rutherford County board approves contract to pursue Lee Road school site, adds appraisal requirement before testing

The Rutherford County School Board voted Tuesday to approve execution of a contract for the potential purchase of a Lee Road property for a future school site, with an amendment that requires an appraisal be completed before staff begins testing and studies.

Board members were presented with aerial maps, flood-zone overlays and utility maps showing sewer on site and a domestic water line on Lee Road that would need upgrades. Mr. Lee (staff member) told the board the contract provides a 180-day inspection period with two 30-day extensions, during which the district may walk away from the purchase.

The board’s amendment, moved by Ms. Rosales (board member) and seconded by Mr. Tidwell (board member), directs staff to obtain an appraisal before ordering the more costly site testing. The amendment passed and the amended motion to execute the contract then passed in a roll-call vote.

Why it matters: the site lies in an area the district identified as one of the county’s densest growth corridors. Staff said the parcel could accommodate two standard school footprints and still leave space for additional facilities or a third multiuse site. The board’s vote preserves the district’s right to terminate the purchase agreement if testing or appraisals produce disqualifying results.

Key details from the presentation and board discussion: - Parcel size: staff referred to the site as both “61 acres” and later as a “161-acre tract” during the discussion; the exact acreage therefore remains unclear in the record and will be confirmed during the appraisal and title work. - Utilities: Mr. Lee said city sewer runs across the property; a domestic water line on Lee Road is present but “not adequate” for the district’s needs and would require upgrades. Preliminary CUD (utility) cost-sharing estimates put the district’s portion of waterline upgrades in the ballpark of $1 million, though staff characterized that figure as preliminary. - Testing and costs: staff estimated the combined site testing (appraisal, Phase I environmental, wetland study/stream mitigation, geotechnical/soil testing, boundary and topographic surveys, traffic study, title search) would likely cost on the order of $75,000–$100,000, similar to recent projects. - Timeline: appraisal turnaround was estimated at roughly 45 days plus scheduling, leaving the district time inside the 180-day inspection period to complete studies. Board members discussed sequencing the appraisal before the more costly testing in order to avoid spending testing funds on a property that appraises below the agreed purchase price.

Board direction and outcome: the board voted to execute the contract but adopted Ms. Rosales’s amendment requiring an appraisal before staff begins testing. The contract remains contingent on county commission approval of funding; staff said the district will return to the board after testing and studies are complete to recommend whether to close on the purchase.

Votes: the amendment passed by general voice vote; the final amended motion passed on roll call (votes recorded in the meeting transcript: Darby — yes; Vaught — no; Rosales — yes; Vaughn — yes; Tidwell — yes; Sharp — yes; Maxwell — no).

Next steps: staff will obtain an appraisal, perform the approved studies if the appraisal supports moving forward, and then report back to the board. Any purchase will still require formal funding approval from the Rutherford County Commission.