Board votes 7-4 to allow PTO to fund capital project

By KERRI BARTLETT

At the regular Williamson County Board of Education meeting, the board cast a final vote in the affirmative for the RHS PTO to obtain renderings from an architecture firm in order to begin the first phase of the field house construction project.

“We are very grateful for the positive vote, and now the hard work begins,” PTO President Cherie Hammond said. “We have the approval; now we are excited to move forward with the project.”

The7-4  final vote came after in-depth philosophical discussions during the past two board work sessions. Several board members briefly shared a few closing thoughts before casting their votes.

Janice Mills, Second District, stated that she could not support the project on a number of levels. Mills reiterated that she feels that the board remains divided in their philosophical views on the role of PTOs and the role of the board concerning large capital construction projects.

“I think that it is our responsibility as a board to build facilities … and not the PTO’s role to fund facilities,” she said. “We are a school district and not a district of schools …”

Also addressing equity among schools, Susan Graham of Brentwood (7^th District) stated that if field houses are a necessity, they should be at all high schools. There are currently four high schools in the county with field houses and four without. Graham said that she would like to get together with athletic directors and principals to discuss the need and try to further incorporate that into a strategic plan. Until further questions are answered, Graham said that she could not support the project.

Representing the majority of the Ravenwood population, 6^th District rep Terry Leve, said that although he respects opposing views, he believes that the board has had ample time to discuss the issue and that although it would be nice if county funds were available, he supports the PTO and community in coming together to raise funds in order to fulfill a need at the school.

Further, Eric Welch, 10^th district rep,  added that he was concerned that if the board opposed the RHS facility renderings, an unfortunate precedent could be set suggesting that PTOs should not fund large projects. “Then, what would happen to the support of other [worthwhile] projects?” he asked.

Welch stated that the decision was not difficult but easy when the question is asked, “Does this decision benefit children in the community? Yes, it does …” Welch believes that other organizations can learn from the development of a project this large.

“I fully support this,” Welch said.

Voting against the proposal were Mills, Graham, Vicki Vogt and Pat Anderson. (Gary Anderson voted for the proposal, not against, as was previously reported).

About the majority’s affirmative vote, Mills said, “The will of the board is the will of the board. The majority responded in favor, and I am supportive of the board’s decision to move forward. Sometimes we disagree, and that’s OK. That’s how we work. I support the final decision.”

Leve too said he was happy with the end result.

 “I am pleased with the support of the board so that the project can move forward and am excited about the opportunity that the PTO will have in continuing to work with the community,” he said.

Unofficial preliminary drawings showed that the cost of the project could be about $1.5 million for a 15,000 sq. ft. facility at about $100 per sq. ft. Preceding the initial discussion during the meeting, Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney recommended approval for the project and read a list of recommended stipulations if approved. These included close collaboration between the architect firm and WCS executive staff, the review of all related contracts by Director of Schools, and the submission of all financial records and fund-raising requests to WCS.

When asked about his thoughts on the board’s final decision,  Looney said, “I appreciate the board’s discussion. It was a difficult decision, and at the end of the day the majority voted to move forward. I will support that decision with all of the vigor that I can muster.”