Board approves facilities plan at special meeting, sets public hearing for Dec. 20
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Friday, Dec. 3, 2021 — As expected, the Nelson County Board of Education approved the draft district facilities plan (DFP) approved Wednesday evening by the Local Planning Committee.
The vote wasn’t unanimous, however. Board member Diane Berry cast the only “no” vote against approval of the DFP. Berry had no comment for this reporter when asked about her vote against the facilities plan.
The vote came after a presentation that provided the board members with an overview of the draft facilties plan by Stephen Ward, an architect with Louisville-base Studio Kremer.
Ward told the board that just because a project is included in the facilities plan, it doesn’t mean the board is required to make that project happen. The facilities plan just offers the board a list of projects and their priority. And though a Local Planning Committee must meet every four years, they can meet anytime an existing facilities plan needs revision.
Board members Diane Berry and Diane Breeding both expressed concerns with keeping middle schoolers seperate from high school students once they are on the same campuses. Ward told the board that the facilities plan has a broader focus, and that details like that are up to the board to specify when the projects are being planned and funded.
Amy Owens, the district’s chief financial officer and a member of the LPC, showed the board how the district has seen state funding cut in recent years and she reviewed the savings the facilities plan could offer the district.Looking ahead, she told the board that the district won’t have funding to continue to support as many school buildings as it is using now.
Since the new facilities plan could mean the closure of Bloomfield Middle School, board member Diane Breeding said the district needs to make sure the school remains “a living, breathing part of the community.”
Board member Damon Jackey refuted what he said are “outright lies” being spread in the community that the district already has a commitment from Isiaih House to buy the Bloomfield Middle School buidling once it is empty.
Jackey reminded the audience that the board would never let the school be used for a questionable use when it is located next to an existing elementary school.
PUBLIC HEARING SET. The board voted unanimously to schedule the public hearing on the new district facilities plan for 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, at Thomas Nelson High School. The board also approved appointing the district’s CFO the hearing officer.
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