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Opinion

Editorial - Commissioners still trying to undermine school

It’s a shame that the school board has to put up with these childish antics. And it’s a further shame that instead of helping build confidence and support for the newest and largest high school the county has built, commissioners are continuing to undermine it.

May 10, 2019 at 6:00 PM
rwagner
West Ridge High School

Sullivan commission asks for West Ridge High construction delay; school board chairman says no

Folks on both sides of the issue readily say the commission resolution is not binding on the school board. What’s more, the school board chairman Friday said a vote to honor the delay might in and of itself break the law by violating a contract and cost countywide taxpayers more money.

Apr 19, 2019 at 7:15 PM
Sullivan County Board of Education Chairman Michael Hughes talks before a recent school board meeting.
rwagner
West Ridge High School

Hughes doesn't believe Sullivan school board would heed call to delay West Ridge

The head of the seven-member Sullivan County school board says he doesn’t believe that body would agree to delay construction of the new West Ridge High School, even if the County Commission next month passed a resolution requesting the delay.

Mar 26, 2019 at 7:30 AM
josborne
West Ridge High School

Sullivan County Commission considers asking for halt of construction at new high school

In an at times terse discussion, Sullivan County commissioners debated asking the Sullivan County Board of Education to halt work of West Ridge High School’s construction until the BOE can prove they have the money to finish both that school and the new middle school in the East zone.

Mar 24, 2019 at 2:42 PM
Sullivan County Department of Education logo.
rwagner
West Ridge High School

School board agrees to pay $56,000 for natural gas line

The contract is for $56,000. In exchange, Atmos will install 6,334 feet of four-inch line to the school property

Feb 18, 2019 at 9:43 PM
Left to right, Nashville attorney Chuck Cagle and Sullivan County school board attorney Pat Hull before they met with the school board in an executive session Tuesday. A potential lawsuit over $1 million for a sewer line for the new Sullivan East High School was the topic.
rwagner
Sullivan County schools

Sullivan board approves $740K more for rock blasting at West Ridge

The seven-member Board of Education also went into an hour and 45 minute executive session with board attorney Pat Hull and Nashville attorney Chuck Cagle to discuss a potential lawsuit against the County Commission for not allowing the board to spend $1 million in restricted reserves on a sewer line project for Sullivan East Middle School.

Jan 16, 2019 at 1:52 PM
Architect Dineen West speaks to the Sullivan County school board about a one-year delay in completion of the new West Ridge High School, now projected to open in the fall of 2021.
rwagner
West Ridge High School

Sullivan BOE approves funds for West Ridge rock removal, land purchase for sewer near East

The Sullivan County school board voted to buy a small section of land for a sewer pump station, needed for Sullivan East Middle School, for $2,500. It also approved spending $81,335 more than had been set aside for rock removal for the West Ridge High School.

Nov 7, 2018 at 9:15 AM
A recent drone photo of the West Ridge High School construction site. Sullivan County school board members learned at a Monday work session it will open a year later than planned, in the fall of 2021.
rwagner
West Ridge High School

Completion of new Sullivan County schools will be delayed, architect says

West Ridge High School, originally scheduled to open in the fall of 2020, will be delayed until the fall of 2021. Sullivan East Middle School, originally set to open in the fall of 2019, will be delayed until the spring of 2020.

Nov 6, 2018 at 10:24 AM
Sullivan County Board of Education member Mark Ireson
rwagner
Sullivan County schools

Sullivan school board expands construction manager to both new schools

The original proposal was to have a construction manager for West Ridge High School only, with the school system’s maintenance supervisor doing that job at Sullivan East Middle as well as being project manager for both schools.

Oct 3, 2018 at 12:09 PM
The Sullivan County Board of Education Tuesday is to vote on creating a new temporary contract position, with no benefits or retirement, to be construction manager of West Ridge High School.
rwagner
Sullivan County schools

School board approves Weaver boundary move, looks at construction manager position

Sullivan County school leaders hope they’ve finally closed the books on the sale of the old Weaver Elementary School property, and they’re also looking forward to the construction of the new West Ridge High School by considering approval for the hiring a construction manager for that project.

Oct 1, 2018 at 10:47 AM
josborne
West Ridge High School

Play ball! Funding for West Ridge athletic facilities OK'd by Sullivan Commission

BLOUNTVILLE — When does recess mean accomplishing a challenging task? When it happens at the Sullivan County Commission. At least on occasion. And one of those occasions came on Monday.

Aug 20, 2018 at 8:30 PM
josborne
West Ridge High School

Funding for West Ridge sports facilities up for vote Monday

BLOUNTVILLE — The Sullivan County Commission is expected to be asked to vote up or down Monday on allowing the school system to use $4.8 million of its estimated $11 million general fund balance to pay for athletic fields at West Ridge High School. The school is scheduled to open fall of 2020.

Aug 19, 2018 at 2:30 PM
Images of "anomalies" Sullivan County school board member Mark Ireson identified as potential sinkholes turned out to be the result of rock blasting, an engineer told the school board Tuesday.
rwagner
West Ridge High School

Engineer explains origin of 'sinkholes' on West Ridge High site

Geotechnical engineer Alex Meritt said that a larger pit and a smaller one were simply the results of blasting on the rolling farmland West Ridge High School site off Exit 63 of Interstate 81 and along Lynn Road. 

Aug 8, 2018 at 8:39 AM
This is an artist's rendering of the new West Ridge High School for Sullivan County Schools.
rwagner
West Ridge High School

Update: Sullivan school board awards West Ridge High contract

Board of Education members Mark Ireson and Jane Thomas voted against awarding the contract. Chairman Michael Hughes, Vice Chairman Randall Jones and members Matthew Spivey, Jerry Greene and Dan Wells voted to award the bid. 

Aug 1, 2018 at 10:37 PM
HUGHES
rwagner
West Ridge High School

West Ridge High contract vote just didn't work out earlier than Aug. 1

Sullivan County Board of Education Chairman Michael Hughes said it wasn’t for a lack of trying that the vote on the contract for West Ridge High School won’t occur until this week, Wednesday, Aug. 1, to be exact.

Jul 30, 2018 at 10:39 AM
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