Roy Exum: Our Billion-Dollar Bill

  • Wednesday, July 24, 2019
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

When the United States went through its OSHA craze back during the Nixon administration, some lovely from the county’s Department of Education came to the Lookout Mountain Elementary School so bridled up in her new-found importance she was invisible in most mirrors. The lady was every bit as bad as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration itself, which has since cost our country many unnecessary billions, and noticed the main door of the school’s auditorium was surrounded by glass windowpanes that the children had painted down through the years.

Not one person in the school’s many years had suffered a cut, mind you, or even thought that under the wildest set of extenuating circumstance someone ever would, but our newest Queen of Sheba went crazy.

Gordon Davenport, the ever-delightful head of the Krystal restaurant chain at the time, pointed to one and said, “This means a great deal to the kid who painted this … he even comes by the school to see his grandkids and tells them all about the day he painted it.”

“Well, tell him is it no longer suitable by either OSHA or our Department of Education standards … I want it and the other panes removed by this Friday or I will issue a citation. I personally don’t find it exceptional at all,” she added, her haughty attitude brimming over.

“Why don’t you tell him yourself … I have his office number.” Gordon set the trap even tighter. “Let’s call him,” he said. “He will always take my call … we both went to school here, and I’m betting that you have never chatted with a United State Senator (Bill Brock), particularly one who is going to tell you if you don’t get the hell off this property I can promise you that you’ll be what is replaced by this Friday.” 

“Sheba” and her assistant couldn’t get out of that building fast enough and I can promise she’s never been seen in these parts again. It became a fun catch-phrase on the commission back in the day … “George, if you don’t get those bleachers fixed, you’ll be replaced by Friday!” 

It didn’t come as a great surprise yesterday when my dear LMS was among the county public schools with a preliminary recommendation to be closed after a sweeping study revealed a district-wide plan to better utilize our schools and best serve our students. The cost? For $1.36 billion (with a ‘b’) we can close 15 of our schools, relocate seven programs, repurpose nine schools, build three new schools, tear down and rebuild three schools, renovate another 11 schools, and build additions while renovating 10 more.

In Lookout Mountain’s case the community has simply run out of elementary-aged children. When Signal Mountain built its high school it made the Walden Ridge community far more appealing to families with school-age children. Lookout has no natural feeder system other than private schools. 

Lookout Mountain has historically been one of the state’s top elementary schools and its graduates high in acceptance rates at the private schools. But, barring a “merger” between “the Tennessee side” of the mountain and “the Fairyland side,” the Tennessee kids will transfer to Lookout Valley (K-12). The Tennessee side has simply run out of kids. It is costing money that can be better invested at other schools.

County Superintendent Bryan Johnson emphasized the study is “very preliminary” and County Mayor Jim Coppinger was right when he said, “It is a lot to digest.” Coppinger’s better view came several months ago when, in the face of a huge sewer crisis, he predicted, “This will work out. Give it some time, let the cooler heads calm the problem, and this community will do the right thing.”

By and large I applaud the study. When a complete fix is over a billion (with a ‘b’), that’s rope that nobody I know can chew in two. But just like we all knew what was coming, there are some big factors that must be met before the fog will clear and we can better see where we need to be:

* -- There isn’t one state in America that doesn’t have critical needs with public school facilities. Last year kids in Baltimore had to bundle up to sit in 40-degree classrooms. Three Baltimore schools were actually abandoned all year because there was no money to fix the boilers (heat.) Why? Over half the schools in Baltimore are over 60 years old and only three percent have been added since 1984.

* -- Rachel Cohen, writing for the Washington Post: “We’ve known about the school infrastructure crisis for a long time. More than two decades ago, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that as many as 28 million students attended schools with significant structural problems, including 15,000 schools with unsafe indoor air quality. By 2013, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave public schools a “D+” grade on its national report card. One 2016 report estimated it would cost roughly $145 billion annually to maintain and modernize school buildings so all students could learn in safe environments.”

* -- In Oklahoma City they just closed 12 elementary schools. In New Jersey a school board just approved a FY2019-20 budget that doesn’t have enough funding to last until March. 

* -- From the Nashville Tennessean: “Nashville public schools employees will receive a net 4.5% cost of living raise in the 2019-20 school year under a reworked budget from Mayor David Briley. Teachers will get an immediate 3% raise through a $28.2 million budget increase from Metro government — boosting district operating funds to $914.5 million. A second 3% cost of living adjustment will take effect Jan. 1, halfway through the upcoming school year. The board will need to vote on that adjustment later this year. (The pay increase in the new year is made possible through Briley freeing up $7.5 million of the $11.2 million the district would have had to pay to the Metro Development and Housing Agency tax increment financing loan repayment.)

* -- From “American School & University website: “{Last year, the National Education Association estimated that public school systems nationwide would need $322 billion to repair and modernize facilities. A U.S. Department of Education report, "Condition of America's Public School Facilities: 1999," found that three-quarters of schools need to spend money on repairs, renovations and modernizations. If schools are unable to perform maintenance or construct new buildings when necessary," the report says, "facilities problems multiply, which can result not only in health and safety problems, but also in increased costs of repairs."

* -- From “The Providence Journal:” After reviewing a dozen schools in the district, a team of educators concluded that Providence schools are riddled with dysfunction and are failing to provide a quality education to the district's  24,000 students. The system is beset with crumbling buildings, chaotic classrooms, a demoralized staff, uneven instruction and no clear lines of authority, the review found.

* -- From “The Charlotte Observer:” -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) Schools Superintendent Clayton Wilcox has agreed to resign after two years on the job. The Charlotte Observer reports that Wilcox will resign effective Aug. 2. The school board had suspended Wilcox last week for unspecified reasons. A draft of a separation agreement released by the district said Wilcox would get no compensation in exchange for his resignation, and that the district would not publicly release information in his personnel file. Wilcox’s departure leaves the Charlotte district searching for its sixth superintendent in 10 years.

* * *

As you can see, pandemonium in the public schools across America is universal. The best course for Hamilton County is obviously “wait and watch.” Many of the student transfers could begin at relatively low cost and the schools to be sold could create badly needed income.

There is little room to doubt the federal government can no longer shirk its rescue efforts but, historically, 80 percent of facilities’ improvement depends on local government and – to be blunt – a lack of planning and money is what got us here.

Just remember: “This too shall pass,” and “Inch by inch anything is a cinch.”

royexum@aol.com

Opinion
We Owe Rhonda Thurman So Much
  • 3/28/2024

Thank you, Rhonda Thurman, for your excellent representation and service. You have totally fulfilled your commitment to be the voice of your constituents. Balance is always the objective in making ... more

Democratic View On Top State Senate Issues - March 28, 2024
  • 3/28/2024

Constitutional amendment would ban state taxes on property. Who would benefit? 8:30 a.m. Senate Regular Calendar — HJR 0081 would amend the Tennessee Constitution to prohibit the legislature ... more

Democratic View On Top State Senate Issues - March 27, 2024
  • 3/27/2024

Gov. Lee reveals $797M of new spending, but withholds funding for legislature’s voucher proposals View the Lee Administration’s Budget Amendment — The Lee Administration made its last revisions ... more