By SUSAN TEBBEN
Glasgow Daily Times
EDMONTON — Metcalfe County School System officials were disappointed to learn a construction project for their district has been scrapped from the State House of Representatives’ budget.
School district officials were hoping the state would allocate funding to support the construction of a new elementary school.
The Metcalfe County School System has two elementary schools that are slated for replacement by state education officials.
What upset them the most was the reason why their project and others were deleted from the budget.
According to Rep, James Comer, R-Tompkinsville, said it was because Republican members of the House failed to support tax legislation proposed by Democratic members of the House.
“Most of us have signed no tax pledges,” Comer said, who represents Metcalfe County. “So we voted against tax measures as did 34 out of 35 Republicans.”
He pointed out that Metcalfe County had the second most needed school in the state.
“I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t think it is an appropriate way to decide whose school is in disrepair and whose is not. It should not be hinged to how any political leader votes on any issue,” said Pat Hurt, superintendent of Metcalfe County Schools. “It is unfortunate it’s come down to tying this to something else that also matters. It makes it a political decision and not a decision about and for kids who need new facilities.”
Two elementary schools in the Metcalfe County School District that are slated to be replaced by state education officials are North Metcalfe and Summer Shade Elementary schools.
“We’re probably in a handful of districts that have more than one school that needs replacing. We have three and so if it takes 15 years to pay back the money to build this one, when we are going to get to North Metcalfe and Summer Shade and Edmonton Elementary School,” Hurt said. “It’s going to be too far down the road to meet the needs of the kids who are in the schools today. It’s unfortunate that our legislators are taking this approach to decide who gets a very much needed project and who doesn’t. It’s going to be 15 years or more before we can address our other facility needs and that’s what makes this a critical situation for us.”
The Caverna Independent School District is slated to receive close to $1 million to fund the replacement of a heating and cooling system at Caverna High and Middle schools.
For now Caverna’s project remains a part of the state’s budget.
Sam Dick, superintendent of the school district, asked school board members Thursday night to call legislators and ask that the project be kept in the budget.
The state budget still has to go before the Senate before it is adopted by the legislature, and Comer is hopeful some changes will be made in the Senate’s version of the budget to include education projects.
“If the Senate version of the budget permits for school construction projects I feel confident that we will remove politics from the equation to the degree it is possible and a facility that is [desperately] needed as the one in Metcalfe County will be funded,” said Sen. David Givens, R- Greensburg.
It will be at least a week before the Senate will have their version of the budget completed.
As for how the issue was handled by the House, Givens said the “political tone they used was not something I condone.”
Hurt said she is hopeful her district’s project will be in the Senate’s version of the budget.
“Our need is as grave as anywhere in the state. I believe in the end the legislature will make decisions that are about what is best for the children of the commonwealth and not ones that are political or self-serving.”
