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Residents urge caution on geothermal drilling and criticize school vouchers; community thanks board over Holloway meeting
Summary
Public commenters at the Rutherford County School Board meeting asked the district to require geological surveys before geothermal drilling on karst terrain, criticized state voucher funding for diverting public dollars, and praised recent community engagement on Holloway High School.
Several members of the public used the meeting’s public-comment period to raise facility, funding and community-concern items.
Daryl Dewar, who lives across from the new Poplar Hill Elementary School, urged the board to pause planning for a proposed high school site on Blackman Road until a thorough geological survey establishes whether the karst ground is suitable for geothermal drilling. Dewar said the district should "do some surveying" before drilling to protect local aquifers and avoid costly construction mistakes.
Judy Whitehill, who identified herself as a retired public-school teacher, criticized state-supported "education freedom scholarships" (vouchers) and urged board members to press the county’s state legislators on the issue. Whitehill told the board the $100,000,000 appropriated for vouchers would buy more nurses for public schools and argued that many voucher recipients had not previously attended public schools; she recommended inviting legislators to school visits to see district instruction firsthand.
Carrie Malone thanked Superintendent Dr. Sullivan and staff for holding a June 4 meeting that allowed community voice about Holloway High School. Malone urged the board to adopt a strategic plan to improve Holloway’s reputation and described a former struggling student who later graduated with honors as an example of the school’s potential.
There were no formal board votes or staff commitments recorded in the transcript as direct responses to these specific public comments during the meeting’s public-comment segment.
