JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – The Campbell County Board of Education will vote next month on a request that could help provide high speed Internet service to a major “unserved” section of the county, including White Oak, Wynn and Morley.

Mark Patterson, CEO of the Scott County-based Highland Telephone Cooperative, made a presentation to the board about Highland’s plans to run fiber optic service into those unserved communities as part of a new federal matching grant.

Patterson pointed out that Highland currently provides high speed Internet access from Scott County into Pioneer and Elk Valley and current expansion plans include running fiber optic cable down Stinking Creek Road, including all side roads, to U.S. 25W and southeast to within two miles of the LaFollette city limits.

Highland has now applied for a grant, to be matched by the utility, to expand fiber optic along 25W to Wynn, then up Duff and Davis Creek Road past White Oak Elementary to Highway 90, then back along 90 to Morley at the base of the mountain.

“We will need to locate a building containing the electronics in the White Oak area and would like to lease a 50’X50′ lot from the Department of Education on the White Oak Elementary property,” Patterson explained. The utility would be responsible for maintaining the building, which would be fenced off, and the grounds inside the fence. Highland would be responsible for grading work, pouring a concrete slab, moving in the prefab building and erecting the fence at no cost to the school.

This lease would run for 25 years at a total payment to the school system of $2,500, or $100/year. As a result of helping Highland locate the building, Wynn and White Oak Elementary would both have access to high speed Internet, as well as all of the homes in the service area.

Chairman Johnny Byrge told the Highland group that the board would place the lease request on the agenda for the February meeting and all indications are that it will receive unanimous support.

The rest of the board meeting was taken up with routine reports, approval of budget amendments and only one “action item,” to approve an extension of the COVID leave policy for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year through June 30.

The board barely had enough members to form a quorum for business. Vice chairman Jeffrey Miller was recovering from surgery and unable to attend while Lisa Fields, Steve Morgan and Faye Heatherly were also absent. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 01/12/2022-6AM)