After a contentious school board meeting last Thursday, necessary projects were left unfunded and outgoing director of schools Dr. Buddy Bibb received a bonus.
Once the 2018-19 budget was presented, board members questioned the decrease in allocations for capital improvement projects. The adjusted amounts were shown to be significantly lower than previously considered.
Peggy Murdock, supervisor of finance, explained the changes.
“We spoke to [Tipton County Budget Director] W. T. [Bailey], and his suggestion was to take monies from [line item]177 and spend it out. That money should be able to take care of what we need to do at Covington High School and the Drummonds Elementary lagoon. That total will be $686,231.78,” Murdock told the board.
“Explain how that will take care of Covington High with $686,000?” District 2 board member Steve Clark asked.
Earlier this year design and engineering firm A2H estimated the cost of repairs and renovations to Covington High School’s fieldhouse alone at $1.4 million.
“My understanding is that we will have to go back to the drawing board. They are not going to give us any more than $500,000,” said Murdock.
“Did they vote?” Clark asked.
“They have told us that,” said Murdock.
Clark, looking genuinely concerned, went on to say, “We have two roofs at Crestview and Munford middle schools that need to be replaced, not repaired. I have heard people literally say, ‘You cannot patch those roofs anymore.’ We have $2.2 million just in roofing work and that is original capital improvements.”
Seemingly sensing his frustration, she reminded him, “There is someone over us that tells us what to do. We can only go so far. When they say ‘no’, they mean ‘no’.”
Chairman Marty Burlison added, “The budget director, county executive director, advised against spending that kind of money, and said that budget will be given back to us.”
Murdock made clear the consequences for not giving the county commission a budget.
“If we don’t get that budget in to the state department at the appropriate time, we don’t get money,” she emphasized, “If we don’t get money, we will use the fund balance-it’ll be for salaries.”
Sharing Clark’s dissatisfaction with the county commission’s lack of consideration was district five board member Farrel Vincent.
Mocking the situation, Vincent said, “Let’s let the roofs leak on our students’ heads. ‘No, we’re not gonna spend any money on that.’”
To which he added, “That ticks me off.”
After hearing the complaints from the board, director Buddy Bibb, shared his thoughts on the budget.
“Any time that we are going to submit a budget that is not balanced, that’s what we will be doing: taking a budget that’s not balanced. Over the years, I have learned to let them see it first,” he informed the board.
He went on to cite two instances over the last 10 years, in which the county commission approved unbalanced budgets – once in 2008-2009 for improvements in the amount of $600,000 and again in 2015-2016 for buses in the amount of $500,000.
Using those figures as a rough estimate, he said they might approve a similar amount.
After speaking with Donnie Wallace, maintenance supervisor for Tipton County Schools, he was able to come up with an alternative for the CHS fieldhouse project.
The suggestion included building a new concession stand, renovating the freshman locker room and putting air conditioning in the home-side locker room.
In terms of the roofs which need to be replaced, since consulting with Strickland Roofing, Bibb recommended lowering the drains. He explained over time the building settles, and the roof is about two inches lower than its original height. Lowering the drains would expel the water from the roof quicker and alleviate the problem, until repairs can be made.
Ultimately, the motion was passed to approve the 2018-2019 budget. The budget will be presented to the Tipton County Commission in July.
Bonus for Bibb
Also on the agenda was the consideration of the director’s bonus. Evaluation results reflected an overall score of 4.57 out of 5. Discussion followed, regarding the intent of such a bonus.
Said Vincent,“My thought is, as I mentioned earlier when we were talking about the bonus as it was explained to us, was a bonus was to be given, or a salary increase, based upon evaluation. For what purpose? To help retain the superintendent to make sure they don’t look for jobs elsewhere. But to give somebody out-going a three percent bonus, I don’t think is the spirit or intent of that clause in the contract, so I can’t support that.”
Burlison, gave his rebuttal, “The way I understand it, this is for his work from the past year. The bonus last year, was for his work from the prior year. We’re not talking about out-going, we’re talking about prior work.”
Once the debate was over, the board eventually approved a three percent bonus for Bibb.
With this being the last meeting for Bibb following his retirement from Tipton County Schools, Burlison presented him with a plaque honoring him for his years of service.
Bibb seemed humbled by the honor.
“Let me just say, I appreciate this board. Tipton County is a special place. I think everybody in this room, in my opinion, is here for the right reasons. Great support, great help starting with my number one, my only one,” Bibb said as he turned to look at his wife, “She has encouraged me and supported me every step along the way. Central office staff is second to none- second to none. The things that the students and teachers have accomplished in the school system, I would just like to say this. I think we do the right thing, for the right reasons, in the right way. The Lord has blessed me to live and work here.”
The school board meets every month on the second Thursday. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. and take place at the central office, 1580 Hwy. 51 South in Covington.
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