April 7th, the budget committee rejected the idea, April 14th the full board voted not to do it. Now at the April 25th special called board meeting, all eight members present voted to spend the $57,000.00. I wasn't there, opening night at the ball field plus my vote wasn't going to make any difference and Bill Marcus wasn't there.

There's just one little snag left to get over, commission has to approve the $57,000.00 expenditure. The money will be taken from the Adequate Facilities Tax fund that was passed a few years back. When the AFT was passed, commission didn't want the school board to have control of that money fearing the board would probably waste it. So the revenue from the AFT goes to the schools capitol projects fund which requires commission approval for any expenditures from that fund. The request is suppose to go before commission at Monday's meeting.

Remember, this project wasn't suppose to cost the county one penny as the board was told over and over. If commission approves the additional $57,000.00 in local tax dollars, it will bring the total cost of the project to more than $300,00.00. Loudon High currently has 15 members on the track team.

According to some of those wanting the rubberized track surface, spending the $57,000.00 is actually a great deal for county tax payers. By spending the $57,000.00, we will save $9,200.00. You see if we spend the $57,000.00 we wont have to spend $9,200.00 to seal and stripe the asphalt surface. I'm not making this up. This is education logic.

I was just thinking. I wonder how the vote would have gone if the school board members were being asked to spend their own money on the project. Let's see?  $57,000.00 divided by eight board members. Each board member would only need to contribute $7,125.00 a piece. Think all eight of them would have voted yes in that case? Bet not. Lots easier to spend someone's else's money.

This is the same board that's currently working on next years forty million dollar school budget. Scared yet?