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Board debate over North Columbia Elementary design fees exposes budget process tensions
Summary
Board members questioned a $630,380 design-fee revision for North Columbia Elementary, where staff said the district found the money inside its capital architecture line after a proposed budget amendment failed at the county commission. A board member read a prepared statement accusing leadership of inadequate budget review.
School board members at the Maury County Board of Education meeting on June 3 pressed staff for details about design fees for the planned North Columbia Elementary School and criticized the pace and transparency of the district's budget process.
Board member Miss Stevenson raised concerns about an invoice or amendment related to $630,380 in revision fees tied to North Columbia Elementary and said she was confused by two messages from staff: an earlier email asking for approval and a later email saying a budget amendment was not necessary. "I find that pretty confusing," she said. Superintendent Ventura responded that the two messages were the same matter but the difference was that staff had found funding within the district budget and therefore no longer needed a budget amendment. "It's the same story, it's just that we don't need a budget…
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