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Maury County school board debates $640,000 design-fee amendment for North Columbia Elementary; decision moved to June voting meeting
Summary
School board members and staff debated whether to fund a redesign fee for North Columbia Elementary from fund balance, with concerns about prior spending, changing storm-shelter code and grant feasibility; the item was placed on the board's June voting agenda.
Maury County School Board members debated on whether to fund a $640,000 design-fee budget amendment for the planned North Columbia Elementary School and agreed to place the item under new business for the board's June voting meeting.
Board member Vanessa Ventura said she supported moving the project forward but urged staff to avoid using fund balance if possible. "I absolutely believe we need to move forward with this," Ventura said during the discussion, adding that staff should look for alternative funding sources rather than tapping savings.
Board member Kelli Stevenson said she would not support pulling additional funds into the project at this time, citing other systemwide capital needs. "I'm definitely not supporting this. I'm not gonna throw millions more when...that money could be spent" on roof, sewer and HVAC needs across the district, Stevenson said.
District staff explained the $640,000 amendment covers redesign and design fees after code and scope changes. Eric Luconen, a district finance staff member, said the requested appropriation would come from unexpended capital funds that otherwise could have carried forward. "In short, yes. Basically, this is capital funds that were set aside for other purposes, that we had not fully obligated with purchase orders yet," Luconen said.
Board members also disputed when a storm-shelter requirement was removed from code and whether the district should seek a hazard-mitigation grant instead. Ventura described two conflicting accounts: district staff said a retrofit grant typically applies only to existing buildings and would require building then retrofitting, while she said Emergency Management staff had told her hazard grants can be used to build, designate or retrofit safe spaces. The district warned that hazard-mitigation grants are lengthy and may take 18 to 24 months or more to finalize.
Several board members raised broader concerns about earlier project estimates and the risk of repeated redesign costs if county funding is delayed. Stevenson and others noted this project has had multiple cost estimates over time and questioned spending more design money if county approval is uncertain.
No formal vote on the amendment was recorded in the work session. Board members and staff agreed to put the budget amendment on the board's June voting agenda; staff said the item has already been approved in principle by this board and the current discussion concerns how to allocate the funds.
The issue will next be considered at the board's June voting meeting where members will vote on the specific budget amendment and funding source.
