Okay, we have now cleaned a little house at the city level. It is now beginning to look like the only thing that will save our Maury County schools is a similar housecleaning on that board. The logic displayed by our current Maury County School Board right now is reckless and devoid of ANY common sense.
Article in this morning's Columbia Daily Herald:
Lawyer offers land to build new school
Panel will hear proposal May 1
By Skyler Swisher, Staff Writer
SPRING HILL - A Spring Hill attorney and city judge said he's willing to donate property for a new middle school with just on proviso.
All the school system would need to commit to is building a school, Huntly Gordon said.
The site is on Jim Warren Road near Marvin Wright Elementary School. Spring Hill middle school students currently attend E.A. Cox Middle School, 14 miles away from downtown Spring Hill.
But Gordon never got a chance to discuss his proposal with the Maury County School Board Thursday.
Huh? Someone comes to offer you a MILLION dollar land donation and you don't even take a moment to hear about it? More about this in a second...
Instead, the board instructed Gordon to return to its Facilities Committee meeting May 1. Gordon said he will attend.
Board members could have voted to waive the rules to allow Gordon to speak, but they opted not to because they said the meeting was running too long and other items needed to be discussed.
Gordon said he's had a hard time communicating with school officials despite repeated phone calls.
Actually, Mr. Gordon has mentioned at public meetings in the past month or so that his calls to both Chairman Shaw Daniels and Director Eddie Hickman have gone un-returned. Again, why would you not want to hear about a MILLION dollar land donation? I'm pretty sure that I know the answer...It's beginning to look more and more like the Maury County School Board is hell bent on putting a school on Cleburne Road. Even at the cost of a 60 acre option out on Port Royal Road (remember, this option expires on June 1st), and at the cost of an ideal site located less than a mile from Wright Elementary School.
The incredible lunacy continues...
Maury County School Board Chairman Shaw Daniels said the school system already has a deed for property on Cleburne Road. The board approved the site in March.
Not quite...
"We've got the attorney getting all of the proper signatures," he said.
So the deed hasn't been given to the school board yet, has it? Folks, look for this 'getting all of the proper signatures' to materialize as a ONE YEAR OPTION for the Cleburne Road Site. I, as well as many Spring Hill citizens, were at the last BOMA meeting where Chairman Shaw Daniels held up the deed to the site and said that Maury County Schools had already received the school site. I hope that I am wrong about this, but it's beginning to look like this is one big SHELL GAME being performed by Chairman Daniels. I wonder why? (Wouldn't have anything to do with SSOE, would it?)
The article continues...
Several Spring Hill officials have been critical of the system's decision to build a middle school on Cleburne Road.
At least someone is looking out for smart, managed growth around here...
At a meeting earlier this month, the newly elected Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted down a proposed 1,224 home subdivision where the school would have been located.
Developer Pete Crutcher's offer to donate land for a school has remained on the table, and so far, the Maury County School Board has not backed away from the site.
Building a school in the Cleburne area does not make sense, some Spring Hill officials say.
City officials estimated road improvement to accommodate traffic associated with a 1,000 student school would cost more than $2 million. Both the Maury County Commission and Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen have expressed an unwillingness to pay for the road improvements.
The road that would service the school is only two lanes wide. There are also narrow bridges and railroad crossings in the area.
Here comes the hypocrisy...
Daniels said the board is still willing to consider other proposals (the Derryberry Lane site) but wants a detailed schedule for construction of roads and utility connections to the school (off Derryberry Lane).
"I don't know if he is willing to give us the stuff we requested," Daniels said.
Huh??? Now Chairman Daniels is worried about roads and infrastructure? Are you kidding me? Parts of Cleburne Road are only one lane wide and includes a 14 foot railroad crossing, and Chairman Daniels is worried about roads servicing a school off of Derryberry Lane? Had Chairman Daniels picked up his phone or returned Mr. Gordon's phone calls or suspended the rules at the School Board Meeting to hear details of Mr. Gordon's proposal, all of this could have been answered.
Spring Hill Mayor Danny Leverette also attended the meeting. He called the decision to build the school on Cleburne Road "not smart growth," saying it will be built in a remote area away from where growth is occurring the fastest in Spring Hill.
But Daniels said buses already travel on Cleburne Road, and all that is needed is a turn lane for traffic entering the school.
Buses may indeed already travel on Cleburne Road, BUT NOT AT THE FREQUENCY REQUIRED TO SERVICE A 1,000 STUDENT SCHOOL!
The real reason why the Cleburne Road site has been chosen becomes clear in the following quote by Chairman Daniels...
"There are other students in the area," he said. "There are other developments taking place on that side of town."
How soon Mr. Daniels forgets...At the Spring Hill Planning Commission meeting 3 months ago, Chairman Daniels and Director of Schools Eddie Hickman each stated that this middle school would be filled almost exclusively by students coming from the now dead Harvest Point subdivision. At a Question and Answer Public Meeting at Spring Hill High School in March, they reiterated that this middle school would be a 'Spring Hill' middle school and that over 80% of the students would come from Harvest Point. Now that Harvest Point is not in the picture, suddenly there are other students in the area. Make no mistake, this middle school is being sold to Spring Hill residents as a Spring Hill Middle School, and to the rest of Maury County, it is being sold as a North Maury County Middle School.
Remember, there are currently about 600 lots approved on the west side of Spring Hill and over 7,000 lots approved on the east side of Spring Hill, yet Maury County has decided that the growth is going to occur on the west side of the city? Have I understood that correctly? Shell Game, indeed!
Oh yeah, back to SSOE...
The board also gave approval to initial designs by SSOE Inc. for the middle school.
The current design depicts a 46-classroom, two-story building with a capacity of 1,000 and the potential to expand to accommodate 200 more students.
Although SSOE is doing the initial design work, the project will be opened up for bids from other firms. School officials would like to see the school open by 2009 at the latest.
We have gone from having one or two school site options a few months ago to now having five or 6 options (one of which is going to expire on June 1st). Our school board has yet to act on ANY of them (including the Cleburne Road site), despite their desire to build approx 10 schools in the near future. Let me know something if you will...how exactly are we going to get ANY property donated in this city in the future if the Director of Schools and School Board Chairman REFUSE to return phone calls and dance around every piece of property being thrown at them (with the exception of one of course, and we all know why that is).
Why do we still believe ANYTHING that we hear come out of the school board when the CHAIRMAN is waiving around a deed (that apparently does not yet exist); when the leadership declines to take phone calls that are worth MILLIONS of dollars to the county; when Shaw Daniels (School Board Chairman) is employed by the very company (SSOE) doing all of the school building for the School Board; when we get the Director of Schools Eddie Hickman speaking in front of our BOMA and to parents in the area talking about needing schools specifically for Spring Hill due to the tremendous growth and then to a different crowd threatening to just use the money to enlarge Cox Middle School. How exactly are we ever going to trust a word that comes out of their mouth when in a newspaper article, Shaw Daniels is worried about road and infrastructure on several sites in Spring Hill, but completely disregards the same arguments in relation to the Cleburne Road site?
Frankly, I think that our County officials are losing sight of the real purpose of a school board, and that is to ASSIST in any way possible the EDUCATION OUR CHILDREN. The School Board, more than any other, should not be in the business of "back room deals" and profits for associated companies and developers. The best interest of our children should be the primary focus, and frankly they lost their focus long ago. Is it any wonder that our schools are in crisis?
Maybe our Maury County school system can only be fixed through wholesale change? A change in policy, a change in ideas, and maybe a change in some faces.
42 comments:
Thanks Gorilla, this is a great post. I hadn't seen this article yet. It sure does make a person wonder why the county isn't jumping through hoops to have EVERY piece of property that is being offered. I hope those of you who live in Maury County take them to task on this. If the Williamson County side of Spring Hll already has 3 elementary Schools and we already have a projected future need of a new high school and middle school to accommodate growth, we know that the Maury county side will probably need this many too. Carpe Diem ya'll.
My understanding is the School Board has asked Mr. Gordon and/or one of his partners for information and paper work dealing with his site, more than once. By the way Mr. Gordon was the one who ask the school board not to vote to let him speak. He wanted to go before the facility committee to make his offer.
It appears our "new gorilla" has moved to the Maury side of Spring Hill! How do our Maury Spring Hill students get proper representation and an education with this school system and their connections to special interests?
It's amazing to me that after Daniels and Hickman's questionable business practices (with regard to the Unit School construction)have been revealed to the public and the County Commission repeatedly, they continue to have the audacity to keep double dealing. On the other hand, the fact that they have been getting away with it for so long and the lack of a public outcry, why shouldn't they continue to fleece not only the taxpayers, but their children as well. Until those faces are ousted from the School Administration and Board of Education, they'll continue to flourish as if no one knows what they are doing. Lucky for them, there are very few who can see the obvious.
Has anyone considered filing a lawsuit against the School Board on behalf of the city? Couldn't this be construed as negligence?
Keep in mind that the BOMA meeting is filmed - which means that the deed that Mr Daniels was holding along with his comments affirming to Duda that the deed was his are on film. Evidence...
Gorilla
I have a couple of questions. Is that number that you gave for approved lots on the east side of Spring Hill correct? If that number is correct then how many of them are going down Port Royal Road and the southeastern part of the city?
ole fire fighter
Ole Fire Fighter,
I think I know where you are heading with this (Fire Station on Port Royal Road), but I have been asked a similar question by others as it relates to the school.
Here is a summary of the approved Maury County lots that I received from Alderman Duda. According to him, he provided this same information to both Chairman Daniels and Director of Schools Eddie Hickman in February:
Beechcroft Rd: 680
Depot St: 68 (retirment community)
Duplex Rd: 360
Kedron Rd: 1,655
Port Royal Rd: 4,953
Town Center Pkwy: 108
Keep in mind that there is a projected 10 to 15 year build-out for these lots.
If you want further detail on these numbers, I am sure that you can contact Alderman Duda directly using the email link at right ==>
Gorilla
Thanks for the break down. It is interesting.
ole fire fighter
This is pretty sad. If the plan is to build several schools over the next x number of years then why not take the land that is offered?
The numbers speak for themselves as far as the areas of growth. Why put a school on the other side of town from where the growth is happening unless there is something in it for the board.
I know this is probably a big can of worms and probably impossible but is there anyway to annex the south side of Spring Hill into Williamson county? It does not make sense that a city is split between two counties, does this not make everything difficult?
You'd probably be starting a miniature Civil War if you did that.
seanm - I grew up in Williamson Co., but you can keep your higher taxes and I'll settle for working on getting me some better schools down here for now - lol.
DRM,
Williamson: 2.79
Maury: 2.89
There are certainly more that goes into adequately funding a school system budget than just knowing the property tax rates. The Williamson and Maury County property tax rates are very similar rate wise. At times the tax rate for each county is higher than the other. This happens due to the difference in reappraisal times for each county as well as the rate each County Commission sets. Each County Commission then sets the amount of property tax given to each School Board. The amount given from property tax funds along with sales tax money, state and federal funds, and a few other sources are where the School Boards get their funding. The biggest difference is that the School Boards receive differant levels of funding, not the different tax rates.
But rest assured, the Williamson County School Board has the same funding issues as the Maury County School Board. They have times when their budget request are not funded also.
There continues to be statements made that "something must be in it for the School Board". They have the right to perform there duties in the way they beleive best serves the system they represent. In doing that, they do not become criminal any more than you do by expressing your opinion.
Anonymous 9:33 you are right about the funding for Williamson County schools. There are times when what the schools need and what they are given are very different. The burden is then shifted to the parents and the PTOs. It often seems that the Williamson County Commission knows all too well that parents will pick up the slack even as our own family budgets are stretched thin. New taxes are proposed for schools but, they then evenly "spread the gravy" over all of the county's expenses. I was told by a williamson county commissioner and I quote, "parents in our county don't mind paying extra and picking up the slack," as though he was of the belief that everyone in Williamson County has money to burn. Therefore when they build new schools they don't include playgrounds because they know we'll take care of it. That's all fine but, they have now passed a $1 per sq. ft. impact fee on all new construction in the county to pay for the cost of building schools. Will they now include playgrounds and play equipment? Or will they just "spread the gravy" as Commissioner Clyde Lynch has said in the past?
It cost my family in fees and supplies for 5 students over $500 just to begin school and we aren't talking about clothes and personal items like lunch boxes, graphing calculators, sports physicals, and sports equipment and fees. When it was all said and done for us at the beginning of the school year we had spent around $2000 and we only got shoes and a few new clothing items for each child on sale. That also isn't including all of the fees and field trips that pop up thoughout the school year. That's fine, they are my children and up until two years ago PJ and I have paid for ALL of their educational needs out of pocket. Still, it makes me seriously wonder what happens in schools where most families are barely making ends meet. After buying all their supplies and paying fees they may have nothing left to pay a PTO membership or contribute to building a playground. Is this why Maury Schools don't have all that they need? I have also wondered how much could be saved and spent on our children if the building projects were put out for bid as is done in the private sector. In Williamson, why does it seem that The Parent Company always gets the job and why do they always come back and ask for more money nearly everytime they do a project? Is this happening in Maury too? There has got to be a better way.
Mrs. Mezera,
I agree with a lot of what you have to say, but the reason that your pockets are being stretched thin is due to your decision to have 9 children. The cost of having a couple of children is really not too bad, even if contributing to a playground. When you move toward double digits, the numbers get a little harder to crunch.
My point is the cost breakdown. I put 5 children in school and spent around $400-$500 per child to to simply start off the school year. If you have two children and you only make say, a policeman's salary, while your wife stays at home with a baby can you afford to contribute toward a playground at say...Wright Elementary School if you just spent close to $1000 to get two chidren in xchool with the basics?
I'm not complaining about our family's situation. I love my family AND its size! God has blessed us over and above with what we need. This isn't about me amd mine its about our schools as a whole.
seanm
No one has just turned down the offer of any land. Any and all donations of land will be considered. Even the land offered on the Port Royal site has not been turned down. The Maury County School Board completed a study of the site, reveiwed the expense for the development of the site, and reviewed the requirements stated by the developer. Upon completion of the study, it was determined that the site would not meet the needs for a middle school. The developer was asked to extend the option on the property. An extension of the offer could lead to the building of an elementary school at a later date. To date, the offer of the land has never been turned down. The decision to not build a middle school on that site is all that has been determined.
Any of the additional offers for land are being considered. Under today's conditions, you cannot just accept any and all donations that come along. Even the acceptance of a tract of land has cost associated with it. The land has to be maintained until a school could be built on it. The land could have any number of issues which would render it unacceptable for a school site. The land could have hazardous waste buried on it. Would you like for a school to built on that? It may seem that the Board is not wanting to accept "free land", but I believe they are working toward accepting multiple sites. This process takes time. A motion was made at the Maury County School Board meeting held on Thursday April 19, 2007, to allow Mr. Gordon the time discuss his offer. Prior to the Board being able to vote upon his request, Mr. Gordon made the request to be placed on the agenda for the Facilities & Zoning Committee. Another piece of property had been discussed, due to the fact that the owner had followed the proper procedure.
Well I see Deyoung is not dead. He could not make it on his own site so he is going to spew his trash on this site.
Wow, someone has some deep seeded resentment!
"An Argument For Spring Hill Special School District"
In the course of a recent conversation, the question was raised as to the possibility of a Spring Hill Special School District. Now, before all the naysayers and clicking tongues beat the idea down and say it is impossible (every town and generation has them), perhaps we can imagine the benefits of such a proposal.
I've always agreed with the adages that "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" and "why re-invent the wheel". If our system is working for us as a city and we are getting our needs met, why in the world would we consider change. If, however, our needs are not being met and the system is not working for us; perhaps we should take destiny into our own hands. It appears abundantly clear that we are not being adequately represented at either of our counties. Can we do worse? We could certainly do better.
The uniqueness of our city in straddling two counties has always left the impression (even if unspoken) from our county commissioners that Spring Hill's problems were the other county's problems. I think I speak for all of our city's hard working and wonderful citizens when I say, "we're tired of being treated like a red-headed step child." We have the means and the will to become the best city in Tennessee and our manifest destiny cannot be hindered by small minded and jealous neighbors.
If we cannot be provided with the best educational facilities or hire the best educational professionals (and compensate them accordingly) for ALL of Spring Hill, then it is our duty to provide for ourselves!
This may come off as extreme and unprepared ramblings. My only defense to that charge is that I was completely influenced by The Declaration of Independence.
Sorry PJ... I moved to Spring Hill specifically FOR the Williamson County School system. I will fight tooth and nail any attempt to lever me out of my chosen school system. Ain't gonna happen...
The Tennessee Legislature will definately have to approve any new special school districts, being they are the ones who have said there will be no additional ones can be created.
Then if it were to gain approval, the citizens would have to be willing to pay for its implementation. You may think that this is a simple matter, but I can assure you that the City of Spring Hill, even with it's great minds is not even close to being able to operate a school system now, much less after the anticipated growth.
If you are serious about it, I am sure that the Board of Educations for Williamson and Maury Counties would love for you to study the proposal. I believe you would be surprised at the cost and regulations that come with the operation of a system. Remember, the additional cost will be placed on the citizens of Spring Hill. This would probably be accomplished with a Special School District Tax. You will still help pay for the county systems in your taxes.
One of the next hurdles would be where to place the schools. I am sure that the majority would demand that they be on the Williamson County side. But that is not on Huntley's property, where the growth is. Are you going to ask the citizens who live west of the railroad tracks to cross those dangerous tracks, to bring there kids to school? Which overcrowed road will the buses travel? What kind of benefit package will you provide for the staff, to keep them from leaving?
The City of Spring Hill struggles with being able to provide even the basic services. They sure cannot afford to operate a Special School District.
Sorry, Honey, here is another reason that may not be a good idea. You know I love you!!
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070426/NEWS0201/704260381/1001/NEWS
I am just glad that Tommy is not a spokesman for Spring Hill. Hell he can not even run a freakin oil change place, much less be on a school board.
I am very suspect that DUDA's dad is the gor.
Really? Because the gorilla isn't even 30 years old yet. That's quite a feat if He's Duda's dad.
Is Micheal Glass Duda's dad?
What would happen if Spring Hill carved out a new county for itself? Now, Cindy and crew don't criticize too hard. This was suggested by YOUR husband, the late, great demi-god Ray.
One thing is for absolute certain if that happened - Maury would be bankrupt within the year.
You either are too young or have not lived here all you life. Maury County was running strong back when Spring Hill as just a speed trap. It was full of great people then and still is. It is just having a few growing pains these days, things will get better.
"back when"...
Exactly.
That must have been "back when" Mt. Pleasant wasn't a ghost town. Or "back when" Columbia didn't look like a ghetto.
I just read in the Tennessean it will be 90 days before we get a decision on the Hospital appeal. What do you know about this, Gorilla?
45 Days for Court Reporter to prepare transcript.
45 Days for WMC, MRH and HCA to review.
July 30th final record goes to Judge.
5 to 45 days deliberation period.
Expect decision in September.
And then the appeal on October.
That must have been "back when" Mt. Pleasant wasn't a ghost town. Or "back when" Columbia didn't look like a ghetto.
You're just spoiled. Spring Hill in its "growing pains" has been forced to be developed to higher codes and standards than when Columbia was growing. Spring Hill would've looked the same if our board hadn't forced developers to make commercial developments stand up to a certain code. There are far worse places than Spring Hill, people. 96 in Franklin, anyone? Gallatin Pike or Nolensville Pike in Nashville, anyone?
Be thankful for what you have when you have it. It could be a lot worse. Stop moaning about what you don't have and be thankful your nearest main highway doesn't look like those three streets.
If people were a little more grateful for what they have instead of bitching about what they don't have, I think we'd all be a little happier.
Why don't you go to "back when" you didn't care what your momma dressed you in? You didn't even appreciate the pains she took to make sure you looked nice. You just took it for granted.
Spring Hill's a growing boy too, but at least we've had good parents to keep it looking nicer than the boy whose mother doesn't care at all how he looks.
"If people were a little more grateful for what they have instead of bitching about what they don't have, I think we'd all be a little happier."
Like schools, for instance?
"Spring Hill's a growing boy too, but at least we've had good parents to keep it looking nicer than the boy whose mother doesn't care at all how he looks."
Exactly what I think when I see a Home Depot in Germantown or in Columbus, then come home to the sparkling beauty we have in "Town Center".
Funny, I didn't think there was a Home Depot in Germantown.
So much for free land. Now you know why the School Board was asking for details about the so called "DONATION".
It is funny how much the Mayors new foundation looks like the "Spring Hill Education Foundation" in Spring Hill, Texas, check it out on Google.
hey glass,
Time to come up with a new topic. Not very many comments in the last couple of days.
How’s this for a new topic?
Improved intersections on Hwy 31/Main Street.
First of all, I am so excited to see some new access roads under construction. It gives me more and much safer options as I run around town. Yesterday, I parked at Harvey Park and took off running. Thanks to the new road and subdivision under construction on the other side of Main Street, I was able to run from Harvey Park, all the way to Wyngate Estates (via said uncompleted road, Lexington Farms, Wakefield, & Ridgeport) without setting foot on Duplex Road. It was a wonderful day for me. The most dangerous part of my run was crossing Main Street at Miles Johnson Pkwy and crossing back over Main Street at Bellshire.
In the last Advertiser that was mailed out this past week, there was a nice article on the movement to put a traffic signal at Main Street & Bellshire. My experience yesterday made me wonder if our City Leaders and others are going to be proactive with these new traffic signals and intersection improvements by installing crosswalks and crossing signals. That would be a step toward a more family friendly and pedestrian friendly city.
Ouch! I wonder who I pissed off? Must have been someone crooked.
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