(Smith County Insider Press) South Carthage, Tenn. – A special arranged meeting was held in Nashville in effort for local leaders to find funding for a temporary Smith County School System program. The meeting was held at the State Capitol on March 16. The initiative was organized by school board member, Tina Gantenbein and Director of Schools, Barry Smith.
Due to the Highway 70 Bridge being out of service, the school board put in place an additional bus route in the morning that transports children to Forks River school. This additional route is projected to cost the Smith County School System $15,578.40 from January when it started until near the end of May when the school year concludes.
Attending the meeting in Nashville was Director of Schools Barry Smith, School Board Member Tina Gantenbein (District 8 – Elmwood), State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver, TDOT Representative Paul Degges, and Chief of Staff Jim Henry.
TDOT has promised the contractor, who will be performing the construction on the Highway 70 Bridge, a $4,500 daily incentive for every day the bridge is completed before July 31, 2016 with a $400,000 cap. The School Board would just need a little over 3 days of that incentive pay to cover the entire cost the school system will be out for the last half of the year.
This new additional bus route benefits around 12 families that include approximately 27 to 30 children. Keeping these students enrolled at Forks River is important to the school system to keep the correct student to teacher ratio. If the students were to enroll in another school, the school board will have to look at possibly hiring another teacher because of over spill.
This proposal is going to be presented to Governor Haslam and possibly introduced to the State Legislature. The School System will be contacted through Barry Smith some time most likely this summer with an answer.
