It’s still not clear when school will begin in Sumner County, thanks to the ongoing fight over the district’s budget. The next move belongs to the County Commission, whose budget committee is scheduled to meet on Monday-a week after what should have been the start of the academic year.
The School Board shaved about a million dollars off its spending plan at a meeting last night, but still wants three million dollars more than what the commission voted to allocate. More money means increasing property taxes, something commissioners don’t want to do.
But parent Chris Crans argues the tax hike would be reasonable. By his math, it would amount to somewhere between sixty and a hundred dollars more a year for most homeowners.
“I can almost guarantee you that every working family or single mother has paid that much or two to three times that just in child care for this week.”
If the commission agrees to the latest budget proposal, schools could open before the end of next week.