In a 3-2 vote, the Transylvania Board of Education voted Tuesday to send a plan to county commissioners for how the two bodies will manage the tens of millions of dollars that will be available in November for 213 separate school repair projects over 11 construction sites.
How the school board plans to manage the first tranche of money from the anticipated sale of school bonds was the subject of hours of debate during the special called meeting. Collaboration in hiring a construction project manager and transparency emerged as the top priorities in the school board’s plans.
Board member Bryan O'Neill and Vice-Chair Tanya Dalton voted in favor of the plan.
“This isn't how I hoped this bond project would go,” she said. “But it’s time to get this done. And if this is what it takes then I say ‘lets roll.’”
The discord over school repairs that have been needed for almost a decade is the latest phase of a contentious relationship between the school board and the commission that controls funding.
Board member Chris Wiener spoke against the plan, telling the board that the project management should be completely in the school’s jurisdiction to maintain “operational flexibility.”
“We can actually, through the bond funds, simply hire our own project manager and manage those projects,” he said.
The school board’s attorney was not clear if bond funds could be used to hire a project or construction manager.
Wiener, along with member Tawny McCoy, voted against bringing the proposed plan to county commissioners for their approval.
The split vote came down to Chair Kimsey Jackson who voted to move the plan forward “somewhat reluctantly.”
“I want to see something move forward. And this may not be the end of the discussions,” Jackson said.
Latest in a political hot potato
Up for grabs is the power to control how funds from a 2018 sales tax implemented by the county will be used for repairs. The first tranche of funds – $50.8 million – is expected to be available in November. The long-awaited bond money will fund more than $90 million in repairs and replacements the county’s schools desperately need, according to county staff.
During a county commission meeting last week, commissioners delayed multiple votes on school funding, citing a need to see how school board members proceeded with finding a project manager for the repair projects.
Under the school board proposal, the commission and the school board would sign all contracts jointly, including the hire of the project manager.
“We’re going to compromise. I think we need to ask the commissioners to also compromise,” Superintendent Lisa Fletcher told board members while presenting her plan for a construction project manager.
Under the plan, a permanent joint committee between the two bodies would form to recommend and approve architecture firms and contractors to complete the construction projects funded by the bond sale. The committee would be comprised of two members from each board, as well as the county manager and school superintendent.
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Both boards would have to approve any changes to projects from bond funding after a recommendation from the joint committee.
The proposed plan requires the county to use general fund revenues from the property tax increase to pay for all bond costs.
Given the strained nature of the relationship between the bodies, school board members also proposed several measures to create transparency about the work.
At least quarterly, county and school board staff would meet to discuss ongoing capital projects. The county manager would provide a spreadsheet showing the sources and uses of all capital revenues, which would also be available to the public.
The county’s construction manager would be required to update the Board of Education on the progress of the bond projects during some school board meetings.
“It’s brought up a lot, things that happened in the past,” Fletcher said, noting that she met with County Manager Jaime Laughter last week to discuss the bond project. “But it's time to leave them in the past, trust, and move forward.”
Funding for school repairs is a talking point for almost all of the candidates running for county commission and school board seats in the November election.
The plan will likely be reviewed by county commissioners during their next meeting on September 9. If they approve or amend it, the plan will return to the school board. Once the plan is approved by the board, attorneys for both bodies would work to form a contract to bind the agreement.
