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Wlaf1450This option passed in a 6 to 4 vote
By Charlotte Underwood
JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- After another lengthy budget session on Wednesday evening, board of education members passed option 3 for potential budget cuts which include approximately $1,675,269 in district wide cuts. This sets the “base foundation for the 141 budget” according to BOE chairman Jeffrey Miller. It was basically the same option that was voted down on Tuesday evening, but with several exceptions, including the retention of vice principals at both of the county’s high schools, as well as the retention of an Algebra teacher at CCHS. In the original proposal, these positions would have been cut. What passed does include the abolishment of approximately 14 certified teaching positions and one non-certified teaching position. Some of these positions are not currently filled by teachers, but the position would be abolished, while other positions that would be abolished have teachers set to retire out of them.
This option passed in a 6 to 4 vote with BOE members Jeffrey Miller, Ryne Cummins, Crystal Creekmore, Ronnie Lasley, Jamie Wheeler and Lisa Fields voting yes and BOE members Brandon Johnson, Brent Lester, Sharon Ridenour and Randy Heatherly voting no.
Director of Schools Charlotte McCoy and BOE chairman Miller said after the meeting that this just set the basis for the budget cuts, and the budget would then be built out from there.
Community members of the 5th district turned out in number at Wednesday’s Board of Education with posters and signs that read “Save our Schools.”
Director McCoy said at the beginning of the meeting that none of the options she was presenting included school closures.
“We know there has to be cuts …For the people that are here that are worried about school closure, there are no school closures in my budget,” McCoy said.
The audience erupted into applause.
“School closures take planning; there will be cuts but they will be across the district. There is one school that will see minor cuts, but they are pretty much cut to the bone,” McCoy explained.
She brought two more options to the table, as well as the initial option which she had presented on Tuesday evening.
After extended discussion and several failed motions, as well as hearing community input from several fifth district educators who said their schools had already been “cut to the bone and could take no more”, board chairman Miller made a motion to go with the original option presented, but with three changes. These changes were to retain the two assistant principals at the high schools, as well as to retain the Algebra teacher position at CCHS, but to abolish a P.E. position at LaFollette Elementary instead. That teacher is set to retire. Director McCoy said if needed, another P.E. teacher from another school would become itinerant and help cover LaFollette Elementary.
The budget cut proposal that was approved on Wednesday includes: reducing the Capital Outlay by $225,000, paying for the CCHS doors out of fund balance which reduces the deficit by $100,000, abolishing CPA funding that has yet to be utilized which will reduce the deficit by $50,000, as well as abolishing the central office promotion/retention coordinator, abolishing an ELA teacher at CCHS, the position is set to be vacant due to retirement, abolishing a P.E. position at LaFollette Elementary where the teacher is set to retire, abolishing both driver’s education positions at CCHS, abolishing a teaching position at Elk Valley, abolishing a business teacher position at CCHS, the position is set to be vacant due to retirement, abolishing a vacant teaching position at White Oak, abolishing a computer science teaching position, abolishing a pre-K position at Valley View, abolishing a teaching position at Valley View, abolishing a Jacksboro Elementary teaching position, abolishing two teaching positions at Caryville Elementary, abolishing a pre-K teaching assistant position at Valley View, taking the pre-K safety supervisor from 2/3 salary to 20-percent, and abolishing a maintenance supplement for a total cut of approximately $1,675,269. The actual savings cannot be determined until finance runs the numbers with the three changes, as well as the actual numbers on the abolished positions rather than the conservative estimate that was plugged in for initial budget cut proposals.
Miller also said that finance had “identified some funds that could be wiggled around” and that Monday’s meeting would show the actual numbers. He also said that the add change forms had to happen before finance could provide an actual penny amount of what the cuts would save and that the numbers could change just a little bit.
Wednesday’s budget meeting was recessed until Monday.
Thursday’s budget meeting was canceled.
Director McCoy will now put change orders together to get them to the finance department by Friday and a final vote on the 141 budget will take place on Tuesday at 5:30 at the courthouse. The board will take up budget sessions on the 142 and 143 budgets on Monday at the courthouse at 5:30. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-04/23/2026-6AM)