presstalk 865-671-TALK (8255) or editor@farragutpress.com
• There is some confusion about the Farragut contribution to the schools. We have four schools in Farragut — the Primary, Intermediate, Middle and High School — and the Town of Farragut only contributes directly $151,000 to the four schools. The Knox County property taxes, of the houses that are in Farragut that pay Knox County property taxes, goes into the general budget of Knox County. And, Knox County contributes to the Knox County schools. And this year, the Knox County School Board has cut their budget by over $7 million, which means that the Farragut schools did get a reduction in contribution from the Knox County School Board. Actually, some of the employees, the maintenance, the janitors of the Farragut schools, are going to have to have a five-day cut in pay. Their pay will be cut five days this year because of the cuts from the Knox County School Board. Again, the property taxes in Farragut go to the Knox County budget and they contribute to the Knox County schools, all the schools. Farragut’s one of the schools. But the Town of Farragut only contributes directly to the Farragut schools, $151,000, where they buy land for $5 million on McFee Road. They do the McFee Park, it was $9 million. They do the Campbell Station Inn, it was a few million dollars. So they’re contributing to things, but not the Farragut schools. Let’s keep this straight for the public to know. The new mayor hopefully will contribute a lot more to the four Farragut schools. Thank you.
