School board asks county commission to consider roughly $27.3 million to build new Jefferson Elementary; members debate cost and timing

The Jefferson County School Board voted to ask the county commission to consider funding to build a new Jefferson Elementary School, presenting figures that would request about $19,280,794 from the county and propose supplementing that with $5,000,000 from the district’s fund balance and $3,000,000 from a reserve account, for a combined total of about $27,280,794.

The request was placed on the board floor by a board member identified in the meeting as Mr. Bradley, who said the district has pursued a new school plan since 2020, that architects have been engaged and that the proposed price reflects inflation and other cost increases since the earlier proposal. “A new school is what is needed,” Bradley said, adding that an offer of land from a local hospital provides a new siting option that could preserve the county fairgrounds.

Board members pressed both for and against asking the county for the full amount. One board member who asked not to be named in this account questioned spending “$30,000,000” on a new building and said they could not support a plan they saw as risking long-term debt. “I just don't see myself voting for something that's going to cost $30,000,000,” that member said.

Another member urged the board to move the request forward to the county so the two governments could discuss and negotiate funding; that member noted the board had recently used fund balance for special projects and said the requested $5,000,000 from fund balance would leave several million dollars in reserve.

Separately, after discussion about the motion and the need for information, the board voted to ask the district director (referred to in the meeting as Tommy) to present the figures discussed to the county commission and to return with the commission’s response. A board member moved that the director present the figures to the county commission; the board approved that procedural motion.

Why it matters: Jefferson Elementary has been the subject of repeated discussion and planning for years. The proposed path — asking the county commission to consider providing the bulk of funding while using district reserves as a supplement — would require the county’s approval and would shape whether the district proceeds with construction or pursues a remodel.

What’s next: The board asked the director to take the presented figures to the county commission at an upcoming joint meeting and report back. Several board members said they expect further negotiation and that a final funding decision will depend on the county commission’s response.

Votes and motions recorded in the meeting transcript: the board placed the funding request on the floor, heard debate and then approved a separate motion directing the district director to present the figures to the county commission and report back. The transcript shows a subsequent vote to approve the director’s presentation request.