Murphy – Following a school board member’s demand that Cherokee County commissioners stay in their lanes, the board did just that Thursday night.
The board of commissioners voted 5-0 to evict Cherokee County Schools from the county-owned school administration building at 911 Andrews Road, effective Aug. 2 and without delay.
A letter dated May 23 regarding “Demand to surrender property & alternative office facility” was addressed to Superintendent Keevin Woody and school board Chair Shannon Raper, and hand-delivered May 24.
The Aug. 2 deadline gives the school board just two months to meet, discuss options, make decisions, obtain funding permission from commissioners, secure contractors, complete renovations, move out of 911 Andrews Road and move into whatever location the school board winds up choosing.
The next board of education meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 27. There was no word about whether the school board plans an emergency meeting to deal with this real estate issue.
The county plans to use the building to house emergency management and emergency services administrative offices, as well as a backup 911 dispatch facility. The letter claims grant funding deadlines locks the county into the Aug. 2 date.
In exchange, the county offered to allow the school district to move Central Office to the former National Guard Armory at 118 James A. Mulkey Drive.
The old armory is co-owned by the county and Town of Murphy, which uses the building’s service bay to store fire department equipment. Cherokee County government was looking at that site to house emergency services until this turn of events.
“Cherokee County government is mindful of its duty to provide facilities under N.C. General Statute 115C-408,” according to a letter demanding the school district surrender the property at 911 Andrews Road and offering an alternative facility.
“At this time Cherokee County government would offer to Cherokee County Schools the portion of the building owned by Cherokee County … in fee simple absolute.”
The old armory has comparable square footage and parking to the current facility, according to the letter. About $5.5 million in sales tax funding under articles 40 and 42 of NCGS Chapter 105 is available for any necessary renovation.
“Should Cherokee County Schools desire to utilize another facility in its inventory of real property to house administrative offices, the Board of County Commissioners will be glad to entertain a request for renovation funding for that facility,” according to the letter.
School board member Jeff Tatham has suggested that the school district move its administration offices to the former Marble Elementary School/The Oaks Academy campus on Andrews Road. His proposal has failed to gain traction among other school board members, but that may change.
Elected officials at odds
The relationship between school board members and county commissioners has been tense since January, when the school board voted to reorganize several schools without giving parents advance notice that the changes were being considered.
The plan will move middle schoolers from Martins Creek School to Murphy Middle School, and from Ranger School to Hiwassee Dam School; and move elementary schoolers from Hiwassee Dam to Ranger. Cost to retrofit the schools to accommodate the changes is estimated at $276,500.
The changes are set to become effective in time for the fall 2024 semester.
Some county commissioners expected to be able to discuss the changes when the school district came before it to request the funding. However, that was dashed when school officials said the funding would not require commissioner approval.
The county board has been trying to set up a joint meeting with the school board, to no avail. Multiple dates have been turned down for various reasons.
In response, the county board dragged its feet in approving several unrelated school maintenance initiatives. However, commissioners backed down out of concern for students and amid promises the two boards would meet.
Coleman: Stop ‘petty BS crap’
Steve Coleman, the school board’s at-large member and vice chair, is the most vocal school board member regarding the reorganization of Cherokee County Schools, a de facto spokesman for the board. In a Facebook video he posted following a board of commissioners meeting on March 18, Coleman held nothing back.
“We do not have time to waste on petty BS crap that they’re pulling,” Coleman said in a 33-minute video he posted on his Facebook page, calling for commissioners to stick to county issues, while the school board takes care of educating children.
Funding for the reorganization comes from the school district’s fund balance, which should remain untouched by the eviction notice. However, school officials now face major infrastructure hurdles with August deadlines for completion.
Murphy Middle needs two or three additional classrooms to accommodate the added students from Martins Creek at a cost of $60,000-$90,000. Adding restrooms at the school will cost an additional $200,000.
Cherokee County Schools is attempting to sell the old Marble Elementary campus, which has sat vacant since The Oaks Academy moved to the Schools of Innovation & Technology in Peachtree, which opened in fall 2023.
The school board voted 5-1 in April, with Tatham voting no and James Ellis absent, to put the surplus property up for sale.
Tatham suggested that the school system consolidate its district offices, maintenance and food services departments – all three are housed in buildings owned by the county – to the Marble campus – which is owned by the school district.
“It would make a great Central Office,” Tatham said.