Maury County school board approves five‑year facilities plan; amendment to create systemwide repairs fund fails

The Maury County School Board on Thursday approved a five‑year facilities plan after roughly 30 minutes of discussion and a failed amendment to add a dedicated systemwide repairs and maintenance fund.

The board voted to adopt the plan and instructed staff to use it to prepare the capital request that must go to the Financial Management Board in April. The amendment put forward by board member Miss Stevenson — asking the plan to add a sentence establishing a fund "in addition to future building projects" to cover systemwide repairs, maintenance, renovations and additions — failed on the board floor.

The plan lists facility needs across the district and, according to a presenter, is intended as a working document to inform the capital request. "We have to carry a capital request to the Financial Management Board in April," a staff member said during the presentation, adding that the board had discussed the plan beginning in October. The presenter also said the document no longer labels items as "priority" or "possible projects" but instead lists "needs."

Board member Miss Stevenson said she had multiple outstanding questions and objections and asked that her written comments be included in the minutes. She told the board the plan lacked estimated cost projections for priority needs and did not include a previously requested annual funding pool for systemwide repairs and renovations. "I cannot support this plan," she said during debate.

Other board members and staff described the plan as a working document that will be refined as the district prepares dollar figures for the formal capital request. One board member noted past practice of funding system repairs from fund balance and urged that dollar figures be developed during the budget season rather than fixed now. Another board member said the plan can be adjusted at future work sessions.

The plan also prompted discussion about specific school capacities. The board heard enrollment figures cited by a commenter during public discussion: Woodard Elementary was described as operating at about 98 percent capacity (587 of 600 seats), and Battle Creek Elementary at about 97.5 percent capacity (682 of 700 seats). The presenter told the board that constructing a new elementary today would take approximately two years to open and would not immediately alleviate current overcrowding, and that in some cases adding on to or renovating existing schools could be a faster way to increase capacity.

Miss Stevenson asked that the board explicitly include an annual funding item for repairs, maintenance, additions and renovations in the plan’s notes; she moved an amendment to add a sentence to that effect. The amendment was seconded but failed. The full five‑year facilities plan then passed on a subsequent vote.

The board was told the next step is for staff to bring a capital request — including dollar figures for specific items — at the board’s April meeting so the request can proceed to the Financial Management Board. Board members said the five‑year plan is mutable and can be revisited at work sessions as numbers and priorities change.