Sumner Schools Want $3M From County, Offer Sacrifices

The Sumner County school board is offering a compromise, after a budget fight with county commissioners kept schools from opening this week as scheduled. Last night the school board unanimously agreed on some budget sacrifices, but is still asking for three million dollars extra.

On Monday the county commission agreed to give the schools budget a couple million that had been earmarked for buildings. Now the school board is making some concessions – eliminating adult education, along with eight unfilled positions for extra guidance counselors.

In return, they want commissioners to ante up almost three million dollars to close the district’s budget gap. So far the commission has been tightfisted, for fear a bigger recurring school budget will mean raising taxes.

“You can’t exist if you never raise taxes.”

Stay-at-home mom Brenda Thompson was among more than four hundred who turned out for the meeting.

“I think it’s telling that when you hear a lot of people who are generally in favor of never raising taxes to say ‘we need to do it,’ that tells you something.”

Thompson’s daughter will be a freshman whenever the Sumner County school year starts. The board hopes if county commissioners meet early next week schools could be open in time for the first football game next Thursday.