Looking down the road just a few months, commissioners will be debating what could possibly be the largest property tax increase in the county's history to provide the funding for the long overdue school building program. 

Now on the other hand. Just a couple of weeks ago I reported on how much the school board spent last year just on "Travel." The figure I reported was right at one hundred thousand dollars. The true figure is actually much higher. Of course that was last year. Surely the school board, like county commission, are looking for ways to cut costs to help with their own building program. Right?

This weekend into the first of next week a number of school board members and and administrators will be heading to Nashville for the annual TSBA (Tennessee School Board Association) junket. Each year in November, TSBA holds a state wide convention in Nashville. It's promoted as a learning event for school board members. In my opinion TSBA is nothing more than a propaganda wing of the NEA but that's another story. This years conference will be held at the Renaissance Hotel & Nashville Convention Center.

Last year six board members and several other administrators made the trek to the convention. The best I can tell from looking at the bills, the cost of that trip to the tax payers was more than $11,000.00. The hotel accommodations alone was more than $7,500.00. I don't know who or how many plan to make the trip this year but I suspect the costs will be comparable to last year.

I'm not opposed to folks wanting to expand their knowledge and understanding of the office they hold but given that board members have been attending this particular junket for many years we might just be able to look at the Loudon County Board Of Education and say, WOW that's why the school board has done such a great job. Heard anybody say that lately?

Maybe those board members and others who are planning their weekend fling in Nashville could take a page from county commissioners. After commissioners voted not to fund the Thanksgiving lunch for county employees, they felt so strongly that county employees were deserving of the meal, commissioners offered to let the elected officials pay for it.

If those board members and others who will be attending the conference feel that the benefits of the trip are so important and worthy for their ability to perform their jobs, I don't know, maybe they could pay for it themselves?

Just a thought.