The White County School Board approved a memorandum of understanding with the White County Sheriff’s Office for use of the Central View Elementary property.
White County Sheriff Steve Page requested last month to renovate the old building so the sheriff’s office could use it as a substation and training facility. School Board Member Jayson McDonald said he appreciated that the agreement is one-year and has a clause that the board can retain the property after a 90-day notice.
“I like the fact that at any time we can give 90 days notice to reclaim the property for our use,” McDonald said. “I think that’s something that needs to stay year to year, and I don’t want to see us do a multi-year agreement. I think it needs to be something that we visit each year.”
School Board Chairman Bob Young said the agreement will not take effect until October 1. Young said he is glad to see the building being used again.
“Having use, having somebody in there, somebody that will go and make some enhancements to it for their purposes, I think it will be great,” Young said. “And plus, the fact for the community down there, I mean, it will give a presence, a law enforcement presence down there in that area, and so I think some comments from people in that area view it as a very positive thing.”
The board had questions on whether the property would need to be transferred to the sheriff’s office insurance policy or remain on the school district’s. Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said insurance is something that will have to be figured out.
“I would imagine if we are gonna retain the rights to ownership, then we would retain the insurance rights as well,” Dronebarger said. “But a good question to raise for Tennessee Risk if they are going to be doing activities that might violate that policy.”
Young said the sheriff’s office would be responsible for the renovation and upkeep of the property under the agreement. Young said the Sheriff’s Office will also have the power to terminate the agreement at any time.
