Monroe County board approves terms, sets $1.5 million asking price for potential transfer of Sweetwater High School

The Monroe County Board of Education on Oct. 25 approved a set of attorney-recommended terms for a possible transfer of Sweetwater High School to Sweetwater City Schools and set an asking price of $1,500,000.

Board attorney Chris McCarty told the board he was recommending a set of “mandatory terms” be included in any offer and said a transfer, if it happens, should occur on July 1, 2027. “What I would suggest to the board is that there'll be 2 votes if the board so wishes to move forward with possible transfer,” McCarty said, and he outlined timing, liability and property-accounting items he recommended be written into an offer.

McCarty asked that Sweetwater City Schools assume responsibility for capital projects costing more than $25,000 and for the current roof project, which the attorney said has already been bid and awarded. He also recommended that the buyer pay customary transaction costs such as attorney and closing fees and handle title work. McCarty said some grant-funded items — he cited examples such as Chromebooks — would need to remain under Monroe County Schools’ ownership and control even if the facility transferred.

The board approved the attorney’s recommendation in the first motion by roll call, 9–1, with Brian Kyle the lone “no.” The approved terms include the suggested July 1, 2027 transfer date, the $25,000 threshold to define capital projects, the allocation of responsibility for the awarded roof contract, and a request that Sweetwater City provide a response to the board’s offer by close of business on Sept. 10; the board instructed McCarty to include those terms in a letter to Sweetwater City Schools.

The board then voted on a separate motion to set the asking price for Sweetwater High School at $1,500,000. That motion passed by roll call, 9–1, with Brian Kyle again dissenting. Board members clarified during discussion that the $1.5 million figure was intended to reflect the board’s expectation that Sweetwater City would assume liabilities tied to capital projects (as defined in the attorney’s terms) and the roof contract; McCarty said he would work with the contractor if Sweetwater City chose to assume the existing contract.

Board members asked for several points of clarity during the discussion. McCarty repeatedly emphasized the need for time to coordinate federal and grant-related issues that affect title and funding streams; he noted that some federal or grant-funded equipment could not transfer without appropriate approvals. At one point McCarty referred to a date of July 1, 2025 when describing which projects Sweetwater City would assume “retroactively,” which conflicts with his earlier statement that the transfer date should be July 1, 2027; that discrepancy was not resolved on the record during the meeting.

After the votes, McCarty said he would draft the letter summarizing the motions and send it to counsel for Sweetwater City Schools the next day. The special called meeting adjourned after the board completed the two items on the agenda.