Little hopes to find money for roof repair

By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
June 18, 2004
Lauderdale County School Superintendent David Little said Thursday it will probably cost the school district about $500,000 to repair the roof at Clarkdale Attendance Center.
Little told the board earlier this month that a 4 percent increase in the district's operations budget would generate more than $300,000 to pay for the repairs. But the budget increase would also cause county property taxes to increase something some school board members said they would not do.
At the board's regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Little told board members that the district had received an estimate for the work. Little said he hopes the board will reconsider adding the 4 percent increase later this year to pay for the repairs.
He also said that each school in the district needs to have its air conditioning units upgraded or replaced. Little said most of the county school's air conditioners were purchased in the 1990's. He said replacing the units would cost about $3 million.
The school board took no action on either the roof repairs or the air conditioning repairs.
In other business, the school board honored Abby Hall, who was named the Wal-Mart teacher of the year, with a certificate.