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Wlaf1450By Charlotte Underwood
JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- During the public input portion at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, Emily Gaylor asked the board about the budget amendment that it was voting on that evening for $99,180 to replace a water heater/ boiler at Valley View Elementary School.
TOP PHOTO: Emily Gaylor addressed school board members briefly on Tuesday evening, asking about the budget amendment to replace the boiler system at Valley View.
Gaylor asked where the $100,000 figure came from, what evidence supports that amount and if it was based on competitive bids or an internal recommendation. She asked if documents existed and why they had not been provided. She also asked who recommended this appropriation, what independent inspection had been performed and if the district had determined if asbestos or other radioactive materials are present.
“Finally, this recommendation came from the executive committee before reaching tonight’s full board, the chairman represents district one and Valley View is the only school in that district, what objective criteria was used to ensure this recommendation was based solely on documented need and not on the fact that it benefits the chairman’s own district. These are not rhetorical questions, they have answers, if those answers exist, I am asking that they be disclosed to the public before this board votes to spend another $100,000 of taxpayer money,” Gaylor said.
Campbell County School System Maintenance Supervisor Stan Marlow answered these questions:
“We had Train (Technology) come look at it, the bottom is rusted out of it, it’s about 15 years old and it’s not got any asbestos in it, so we get bids through Train, it’s through government, so we don’t have to bid it, and it is an emergency to do it and they won’t shut the school down. Train does most of our stuff and can do it under Sourcewell under a government contract. It’s through government, so we don’t have to bid that out,” Marlow said.
According to Marlow, the bottom is rusted out of the boiler, and it is not something that should be put off replacing.
“It’s been leaking for a long time and rotted the bottom out of it. It’s important and does all the hot water for the school and it is an emergency,” Marlow said.
School Board Chairman Jeffrey Miller stated after the meeting that replacing the water heater/boiler was essential.
“It is an essential item that was identified as being a problem, and we are addressing it sooner rather than later with the kids being out of school,” Miller said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-07/15/2026-6AM)