Dickson County Commission approves school budget amendments, greenlights $2.09 million high-wall repair at high school

The Dickson County Commission on June 2 approved several school-related budget amendments, including a $980,789.89 state grant for a summer learning camp and transportation and a $2,090,959 contract to repair a failing exterior wall and partial roofing at Dickson County High School.

The school representative told commissioners, “It is the summer learning camp and transportation grant from the state department. It is at $980,789.89.” The representative said the high-wall and roofing work at Dickson County High School totaled $2,090,959, with current savings of $109,041, and named Providence Builders of Clarksville as the contractor. Providence Builders’ representative Jeff Corlew described the work as reroofing and installing metal siding around the damaged high wall, saying crews had taken loose brick down and covered the area with tarps for several years.

The amendments also included minor federal projects fund adjustments and a $1.77 correction in capital projects for education to reclassify a prior $15,000,000 transfer-in that actually occurred in the 2023–24 school year; the reclassification included allocating $2,500,000 to land purchases. Commissioners discussed the school fund balance and remaining planned projects. Commissioner Williams asked whether the high-wall repair would reduce the district’s fund balance; the school representative said the district’s fund balance would fall from an earlier projection to roughly $21 million after the amendment. Commissioners pressed for a prioritized list of remaining projects and asked the school system to return with the resolution that originally listed project priorities.

Commissioner Grove moved to approve the school amendments; Commissioner Gray seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote.

Commissioners also discussed the sports complex and other upcoming projects. The school representative said the sports-complex work (artificial turf, track, bleacher renovation, tennis courts and lighting) is estimated at about $7 million and that the district prefers to keep a cushion in the fund balance in case additional needs arise.

The school representative said she would bring back the resolution listing prioritized projects and offered to provide an itemized list of recent expenditures from the fund balance at the next meeting.