JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — In a regularly scheduled school board meeting Monday, the Jefferson County Schools Board of Education voted to cancel a relocation plan to move students from Jefferson Elementary School.
The meeting began with a motion to suspend rules, which allowed the plan to be canceled. The relocation plan for Jefferson Elementary was not on the agenda.
"The board does have the authority to suspend its rules to rescind something or to make motions to address something that they deem necessary," said Tommy Arnold, Director of Jefferson County Schools.
The plan would largely affect New Market Elementary School, which would move all students and staff to Rush Strong School in Strawberry Plains, except pre-K.
Last Monday, dozens of parents met in the cafeteria for a meeting to discuss and ask questions about the plan. It was organized by the mayor of New Market, Danny Whillock. Whillock also has a daughter at New Market Elementary.
Arnold said the meeting and feedback from New Market parents did weigh in on the board's decision. The New Market Mayor also started public comments, asking the board to suspend rules to rescind the relocation plan.
The plan would have shuffled students at four different schools. New Market Elementary students would go to Rush Strong, with the exception of Pre-K. Jefferson Elementary School students in pre-k through third grade would move to New Market Elementary, and fourth and fifth graders at Jefferson Elementary would move to Jefferson Middle.
The plan also allocated $1.2 million to rent temporary classrooms at Rush Strong and New Market Elementary.
Now, students and staff at Jefferson Elementary don't have any sort of plan to relocate. Arnold said there are only limited circumstances where students would need to move out of the school.
"Initially, this was first discussed in 2009 about a replacement of Jefferson Elementary School," Arnold said. "For something to occur at Jefferson Elementary School, then they just need to let their voice heard and be heard by the commissioners, by the school board members."
Arnold said the plan is to have the best, most recent information for the county commission — whether that's spending money to fund a renovation that would withstand 20-40 years, or a new building, which was estimated at $26 million, which could last for 50 years or more.
Arnold said a cost estimate from the Blankenship Partners for a scope of renovation and a cost estimate should be ready by January's meeting. The board approved $75,000 for that estimate.