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Tazewell supervisors conditionally approve $190,000 for school bleachers amid sequestered‑fund shortfall
Summary
The Tazewell County board voted to appropriate $190,000 from sequestered school‑facility funds for bleachers but made the payment contingent on the school board covering any costs that exceed remaining sequestered funds, after invoices for bathroom and wall projects pushed the fund balance below what is needed to complete all requested work.
Tazewell County supervisors voted June 16 to appropriate $190,000 from a sequestered school‑facilities account to buy bleachers, but the board attached a public condition requiring the school board to cover any costs beyond what remains in the sequestered fund.
The action came after county staff presented invoices received the same day showing restroom renovations at Graham High School and a structural support wall at Tazewell High School had come in much higher than earlier estimates. County Administrator (staff member) told the board the sequestered fund balance would not cover both school contracts plus the bleacher purchase without leaving a shortfall.
"If you appropriate the $190,000 for the bleachers, you're going to be $140,984 short of being able to pay for the bathrooms and the wall," the County Administrator said, urging caution while presenting the sequestered‑fund balance and recent invoices. Board members pressed the school to guarantee any overages if the board moved forward with the bleacher purchase.
A member summarized the approved motion on the record: "The motion . . . is approving the allocation of a $190,000 towards the purchase of bleachers, and that is contingent upon anything in excess of the balance of what funds remain in the sequestered fund account, the school board will have to ensure that they will cover the additional costs going forward." That motion passed on a voice vote.
The board also approved a categorical transfer of $215,327.27 from debt service to food services to allow a walk‑in freezer purchase at Graham High School; that transfer was presented as a reclassification of existing school funds rather than new money.
County staff said the sequestered fund originally contained roughly $4,000,793 but after today's invoices and prior commitments the usable balance fell sharply and might not cover all projects without school contributions or further board action. The administrator and several supervisors said they planned to meet with school leadership before the board’s next session to clarify which costs the school will accept if projects exceed the sequestered balance.
The board directed staff to return on June 25 with a budget amendment showing a pro‑rata adjustment if necessary and to communicate the condition to the school board in writing. The motion left open the possibility that the board could decline any future requests for additional appropriation if the school did not fulfill the contingency.
The board scheduled a follow‑up budget meeting for June 25, 2026, and asked members to keep June 29 open in case further work is required.
