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Wlaf1450School board members Fields, Heatherly, Johnson, Lester say they can‘t vote for proposed budget
By Charlotte Underwood
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- The Campbell County Board of Education Budget and Finance Committee met Tuesday evening, reconvening its recessed meeting from Thursday. The committee reviewed the 141 General Purpose School Fund in its “final form,” voting to send it, along with the 142 Federal Projects Fund and the 143 Central Cafeteria Fund to be “hashed out” and considered by the full Board of Education in a special called meeting set for this Friday at noon at the Campbell County Courthouse.
The 142 Federal Project Fund will be voted on by the full board, but that fund has already been approved by the state and the BOE will not be able to make changes or edits to that fund. The school system is facing a $2.8 million budget deficit with part of it being reduced by equity down to a $2.1 million deficit and this year’s proposed budget contains multiple cuts to address this shortfall. The purpose of Friday’s special called meeting will be to “consider the 2025-2026 school budget.” The meeting will be held in the upper courtroom of the Campbell County Courthouse.
At Tuesday’s meeting, budget and finance committee members, along with other BOE members who attended the meeting discussed the budget and listened as Campbell County Deputy Finance Director and Budget Analyst Richard Terry went over each fund.
According to his budget notes for the 141 Fund, the “2025-2026 budget includes various personnel changes consisting of program transfers, retirements, degree upgrades, transfers between school sites/accounts, and multiple position abolishments.”
After reviewing the 141 General Purpose School Fund, BOE Budget and Finance Committee member Sharon Ridenour asked about the $1.1 million in equity that was in the 141 fund and had not been spent.
Terry said that was what had been set aside for the Campbell County High School sports complex.
“Does that mean that project is back on or not?” Ridenour asked.
“That is up to this body,” Terry responded.
BOE and Budget and Finance Committee member Lisa Fields said she was concerned about that as well.
“My concern with this is just, when we are losing teachers, that is a luxury and I am not taking anything from any kids, but that’s just my concern, and I know it has to go to the full board … I represent the first district and every district in this county eventually ends up at Campbell County High School or Jellico High School, so by saying that, I could be taking away from my first district kids that will eventually end up there, but that’s not my point; in order for them to get there, they need to be educated and if we lose teachers, that’s my concern, so that’s my reservations with that,” Fields said.
Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Crystal Creekmore said they could vote it out of committee and send it onto the full board to be “hashed out.”
BOE and Budget and Finance Committee member Jamie Wheeler spoke, commenting on several band students that attended Tuesday’s meeting in support of the assistant band director whose position could be cut due to the budget shortfall.
“I see my band people over there; I would like to see the band director placed back at Campbell County High School. I know how hard Adam Wright works and I know how hard it is to go to two middle schools and have a high school and this past year has been a huge shift in the band, a lot of things going on and I would like to see that put back. I have heard from a lot of these guys,” Wheeler said.
“I think we all have,” Creekmore echoed. She complimented the band students and said they like to see them perform at the Jellico Parade every year.
“They do a lot, and we have had several students continue their education at the University of Tennessee and play in Pride of the Southland Marching Band and get band scholarships,” Lisa Fields said.
Terry said to fund that position, the BOE would need to make a reduction elsewhere.
BOE and Budget and Finance Committee member Randy Heatherly said he echoed Wheeler’s concern about losing the assistant band director and that he would “love to find a way to include that.”
Director of Schools Jennifer Fields spoke saying the school system had never had a second band director in Campbell County until Tiffany Braden was hired.
“I remember when Tiffany Braden was a student at Campbell County High School, and she was in band and she has done an exceptional job and we have worked hard to keep all these positions in place since the ending of ESSER funds (Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief). I certainly think the more opportunities we provide for our students whether they are academic, extra-curricular or in the Arts, I feel it is important to do. I fully support that; it was never cut because I didn’t think it was necessary, it was because it was never one of the required positions, so that’s how it was brought to the forefront that it was one that would be considered for elimination when I was asked to prepare a budget without the required classes,” Director Fields said.
To save this assistant band director position, the BOE will need to find a little over $68,000 in other cuts.
Other things discussed included increases in cost to the budget such as the expected increases to electric at 3 percent, 5 percent increase on sewer and water and a 20 percent increase expected in the cost of natural gas.
BOE Member Brandon Johnson said he thought that was a high percentage on natural gas.
Terry said they had contacted the natural gas utility and that was what the utility had said to expect.
The final form of the141 Fund was approved in a four to two vote to be sent to the full board of ten BOE members to “hash it out” on Friday at noon.
“We need to get it out of committee and let the full board consider it on Friday,” Creekmore said.
BOE member Brent Lester asked if this budget reflected combining classes or not combining classes. Creekmore said not combining classes, to which Lester said he could not vote yes to the budget as it was proposed.
“I would be remiss if I did not represent my district and you know the classes that have 30 to 1 teacher ratios with this big of a cut and be for this. The majority of our classes over here is 30 to 1 teacher ratios and by doing this, it is sacrificing a lot of jobs with 30 to 1 teacher ratios and that’s going to hurt those kids, so if it goes to the full board as is, it’s a definite no vote for me, so anyone who has that same situation, you may want to rethink your status because if it fails, it’s going to go back and it’s going to set us back beyond our limit of setting our budget,” Lester said,
Creekmore asked budget analyst Richard Terry if the BOE Budget and Finance Committee sent the budget proposals “as is” to the full BOE on Friday, could changes and edits still be made. Terry said yes, the board could still make changes on Friday.
Creekmore told Lester it needed to come out of committee and go before the full board and that the full board could make recommendations on Friday.
“I thought it was going to be a vote then,” Lester said. He also said he felt “combined classes at several of the smaller schools could save a lot of positions.”
Terry assured board members it could be edited and modified on Friday.
Brandon Johnson suggested having a workshop for more details to be hashed out, but Creekmore said there was not enough time to do that. Johnson also said that he did not support the budget as it was proposed.
“You can’t vote and pass a budget in a workshop, that’s why we are going to do a meeting, because it’s now time sensitive; it has to be passed and put in the paper for the commission to pass it by the end of the month,” Creekmore said.
BOE member Randy Heatherly said he could not support the budget as proposed because it was using over $700,000 in debt equity.
“If we use that this year, our reserves are dwindling without a plan to generate more income or make some major changes. I echo Brent and Brandon’s opinions that I cannot support it. Our funds are dwindling, and the outlook is not good from a funding perspective,” Heatherly said.
Creekmore suggested once again sending it to the full board.
“I think as far as a committee we have finally got to this position, and we need to involve the entire board. In the essence of time, on Friday, we need to let everyone hash it out and put this to bed” Creekmore said.
BOE member Lisa Fields said that while she does not support this budget, she agreed that the full board needed to discuss it.
“Everyone needs to speak out about what they feel needs to happen. I have spoken to several principals, and I understand where they are coming from and I agree. I am for it to go to the full board because I know it needs to be hashed out by all of us that can be there. There are ten of us and we all are not going to agree on everything, but we need to respect each other’s opinions and talk about this and work it out. I don’t support this budget, but I am going to support it going to the full board so everyone can have their say,” Lisa Fields said.
When put to a vote, it passed four to two to send the proposed 141 budget to the full board to be considered. Crystal Creekmore, Ryan Cummins, Lisa Fields and Jamie Wheeler voted yes, while Randy Heatherly and Sharon Ridenour voted no.
The Budget and Finance Committee Special called meeting will be Friday at Noon in the upper courtroom at the Campbell County Courthouse to consider the 2025-2026 budget. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-06/04/2025-6AM)