Monroe County school board deadlocks on Coker Creek Elementary closure

The Monroe County Board of Education failed to approve a motion to close Coker Creek Elementary at the end of the current school year after a 5-5 roll call vote on March 13, 2025.

Board member Mitch Avery moved to close Coker Creek, saying the school’s operating cost per student was substantially higher than other county schools and arguing the district could absorb students and staff elsewhere. “Numbers say that keeping Coker Creek open and operating, we are doing a disservice not only to the students of that school, but the other students in the county as well,” Avery said.

Supporters of keeping the school open highlighted the community role of the school and questioned the scale of projected savings. Board member Sharon Freeman said the school is “the heart of that community,” praised the work of teachers and staff and questioned whether closing Coker Creek would yield the large savings cited by proponents.

Members debated several cost comparisons during the discussion. Board materials shown to members reported that Coker Creek’s average per‑student cost is substantially higher than other county schools; speakers cited figures such as a per‑student cost near $15,449 (as reported to the board) and contrasted per‑student instructional‑materials spending of about $98 at one larger school with $796 at Coker Creek. Speakers also referenced state funding of roughly $7,075 per student and said county tax funds covered the remainder.

Proponents argued that redistributing Coker Creek students to nearby schools would allow the district to make fuller use of existing capacity and could increase state and federal funding to those receiving schools. Opponents said the likely net annual budgetary savings would be far smaller than suggested, noted recent capital investments at Coker Creek, and warned of damage to a tight‑knit rural community if the school closed.

At roll call the votes were: Kyle Bridal — yes; Mark Ingram — yes; Richard Bettis — yes; Mitch Avery — yes; Vaughn Shuman — yes; Sharon Freeman — no; Joe Cagle — no; Freddie Kelly — no; John Regel — no; Dean Williams — no. With a 5-5 tie, the motion failed and Coker Creek will remain open for now.

Board members on both sides asked district staff for further details about maintenance costs, enrollment thresholds, and property-title questions raised during the meeting. One board member asked staff to check whether there were deed restrictions on the school property; a staff response earlier in the meeting stated the property deed lists ownership as Monroe County Board of Education.

The vote concluded a prolonged discussion that included arguments about fiscal stewardship, educational program delivery in multi‑grade classrooms, and the role of small neighborhood schools in rural communities. No implementation action followed from the meeting beyond the vote to leave the school open.