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Superintendent: $10 million in state emergency funds earmarked to move Estill County middle school students while building monitored
Summary
Estill County Superintendent told the board the district received $10 million tied to Senate Bill 197 to create temporary space to move middle school students while construction and monitoring continue; engineers say the building remains structurally sound but the designation allows emergency-management support and could lead to condemnation if it becomes unsafe.
Estill County Superintendent Mr. Brock told the school board on April 16 that the district has been allocated $10 million earmarked to move students out of the middle school while planners and state officials determine next steps.
The funds were included in language attached to Senate Bill 197, an amendment to House Bill 900, Mr. Brock said. He described two possible pots of money: one to build or lease temporary facilities to host students while classes continue, and a separate fund that could be available to continue reconstruction of the middle school.
"We did receive $10 million. That $10 million is earmarked for moving students," Mr. Brock said. He added that the bill’s emergency designation brings the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management into a coordinating role. "There’s some language in the bill with emergency and critical that is concerning to our community. . . . We still have had engineers look at it. The footings are still solid. It is safe. The very moment that it is not, we will close the building and students will be in it no longer," he said.
Mr. Brock told the board he had been informed by Senator Brandon Smith — via text — that Estill County would be included in the bill but that officials still must work with state staff to understand how and when to access the funds. He said he had been told by legislative contacts that an additional pot of money tied to emergency-management designation should be available for continued construction, but he had not yet received confirmation from the state on eligibility or timeline.
The superintendent said engineers have inspected structural elements and that, at present, the middle school remains "structurally sound," but he acknowledged the building has deteriorated over many years and that at some point it may no longer be safe. He emphasized the district will act immediately if inspections show the building is unsafe.
District officials said they are still developing plans for alternate classroom locations and expect to coordinate site selection and construction with the state and emergency management. Mr. Brock invited board members and community members to review monitoring reports and to visit the middle school so they could see how the district is tracking movement and structural changes.
The board did not take a formal vote on a construction plan during the meeting. Mr. Brock said he would provide updates to the public as state guidance and funding-access details become clearer.
