School board approves purchase of Lee Road site for future high school, authorizes funding plan and inspection extension

Rutherford County School Board members voted to approve the purchase of a 5405 Lee Road property intended to site a future high school and authorized a funding plan using district project funds and fund balance.

Director of Schools Jeff Reid presented engineering and cost reports and said the purchase price was $12,885,600 with roughly $100,000 in additional fees, for a total near $12,955,600 as presented to the board. Reid and Director of Schools staff recommended moving the item through Health & Education, then to budget and the full county commission for final funding and closing.

Board members discussed capacity, attendance zones and potential campus configurations if the site were used for a smaller high school or a complex with multiple schools. Director Reid and staff said the site could relieve enrollment pressure west of I-24 and that a smaller high-school model could reduce land needs and give athletic and site-sharing options. Reid said using an existing design (for example, Stewarts Creek) could reduce design fees compared with a wholly new plan.

The board approved the purchase by voice vote (motion passed). Members then voted to fund the acquisition using a combination of funds from fund 01/1989 (building projects) and fund 01/1941 (general fund balance) per the finance director's recommendation rather than seeking a bond anticipation or capital outlay note. The board also approved a 30-day extension of the inspection period for the site to allow additional due diligence and to complete the county approval process.

Reid outlined a timeline: the purchase and funding will go to Health & Education, then budget on Sept. 4 and full county commission on Sept. 11. Board members asked staff to continue analysis of zoning, projected student yields and shared athletics/facility options as planning continues.

Why it matters: The purchase is the board's largest land action this month and is explicitly intended to add capacity in rapidly growing areas of Rutherford County. The funding decision relies on internal capital funds and the board's fund balance rather than an immediate bond issuance, which shortens the scheduling timeline but uses district reserves.

What happens next: Staff will continue design and siting discussions, return pricing and design-fee estimates to the board, and present the full funding request to the county commission in September for final approval and appropriation.

Quotes: "These reports are within the scope and site cost of recent projects," Director Jeff Reid said while summarizing engineering input. "If you move the future high school everything West Of I-twenty 4... the zone would go directly to this school's door," a staff member explained while outlining rough enrollment projections.

Ending: The board did not set final design choices at the meeting; members directed staff to refine cost estimates and capacity scenarios and to return with materials needed for county-level funding votes.