The Cherokee Scout previews upcoming government meetings with this free, online-only feature available to all readers.
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Murphy – The Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at Central Office, 2230 Airport Road in Marble. Live-streamed on the school district’s YouTube channel.
The school district has not updated its website with fresh upcoming agendas since late 2024 and paper agendas aren’t usually available until the day before the meeting or even at the meeting, but the Scout will be looking to see how the school board responds to recent developments affecting school project funding and long-term plans.
The school district will have a severe funding shortfall in around two years for facilities maintenance, and the school board has been looking at five plans that would close some of its 13 campuses, enhance others and build new schools in some instances.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has rejected the school board’s preferred proposed plan – which would build a new Murphy High School for grades 6-12 beside the Schools of Innovation in Peachtree. Commissioners favor a plan that would create a new campus on that site but for older grades. The school board has not discussed the commissioners’ proposal.
Meanwhile, the school district is trying to fund a feasibility study to determine whether a 99-acre parcel across U.S. 19 from Murphy High/Middle Schools is suitable for a new campus. The school board asked the commissioners to authorize spending up to $75,000 in sales tax proceeds for the study, but commissioners tabled the request, ostensibly objecting to the high cost but also wanting the new campus to be in Peachtree.
The 99-acre parcel is rugged with limited access, with highway frontage featuring steep rocky hillsides and cliffs.
The school district could tap into its own fund balance to pay for the study, but Superintendent Keevin Woody said he would prefer not to do that. The fund balance is kind of like a rainy day savings account, and with funding outlooks hazy, keeping as much money tucked away as possible seems prudent.
County commissioners did approve a funding request to add restrooms at Murphy Middle School.
Other upcoming meetings
Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Monday, May 5, at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page. Agenda has not yet been released. Fun fact: Town council members officially are town commissioners, and the meeting is formally called a board of commissioners, but the Scout refers to it as a town council to avoid confusion with the county board of commissioners.
Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Chairman’s Forum meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 5, in the Texana Community Center. District 3 Commissioner Ben Adams and board Chair Dan Eichenbaum will be at the meeting. This is an informal session and does not have an agenda. Commissioners are available to answer questions from the public and hear about concerns.
Andrews Board of Aldermen will hold a work session at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 8, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St. Agenda has not been released yet, but these workshops are sometimes canceled or postponed.