Wheel Tax Voted Down, School Repairs On Hold
This video is no longer available.
SELMER, Tenn. – The school year is coming to a close, but some parents in McNairy County are concerned after the County Commission voted down a $50 wheel tax. That is because a portion of the money would have gone towards repairs at six of the district’s eight schools. “That wheel tax can fix schools,” said Johanna McCoy, a concerned parent of a Selmer Elementary School student. “It can give our children exactly what they need, and they’re our future. So for me, it was really disappointing.” Commissioners narrowly missed the necessary two thirds requirement by two votes. Some of the money would have gone towards a $4 million proposal from the McNairy County Board of Education. Without it, many repairs cannot be made. “One school, Selmer Elementary, is in extremely bad condition, and there’s not much else that can be done to it other than a new school,” said Mayor Ronnie Brooks of McNairy County. Even though the mayor said a new school is needed, the proposed wheel tax would not have funded new construction. For some parents, the biggest issue is the declining condition of the school buildings and how that affects their children’s learning environment. “One of the biggest concerns is the attendance is down,” said McCoy. “And I think that the biggest reason the attendance is down is because of the leaks. And the children have to walk outside no matter what the conditions of the weather And they makes it a very big complication. Also, with the leaks you have to consider mold.” Selmer Elementary is just one of many schools with problems. The board said many need parking lot repairs, classroom construction, and McNairy County Central High School needs an entirely new roof. While some improvements will be made this summer, proposed new school buildings for Selmer Elementary and Adamsville Elementary will have to wait. Brooks said the commissioners may have been weary because the initial new school building program, presented by the Board of Education, lacked accurate estimates of costs per building and also a site for a new Selmer Elementary School. So that process was put on hold until more accurate figures were presented. “I think the process is just at a stalemate at this point, but I feel like it will improve,” said Brooks. “It’s just going to take some time and more information to come available.” The schools are set to receive around $1.7 million. But $1 million will have to go towards the new roof at the high school, leaving much less than expected for others.
