FRIDAY
161st YEAR • NO. 169 NOVEMBER 13, 2015 CLEVELAND, TN 22 PAGES • 50¢ School board authorizes County is seeking action appeal of liquor tax ruling on BEP funding formula By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG He said Bryant took the question By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG funding recommendations from the Banner Staff Writer under advisement, and she has Banner Staff Writer previous year, potentially lowering agreed to look at this part of the puz- the amount of money school systems The Bradley County Board of zle again. Logan then inquired if the Displeased with a recent report could receive for personnel like Education has voted to continue to school board planned to continue to from the committee behind the counselors. fight for the thousands of dollars it appeal the July ruling. state’s funding formula for schools, “When I saw this, I was just really believes it is owed from previously The issue goes back to 2013, when the Bradley County Board of alarmed,” Calfee said. collected liquor-by-the-drink tax rev- discussions began about making sure Education has passed a resolution The issue has to do with the rec- enues. revenues from taxes on liquor sold by urging action from the state. ommendations the committee made Cleveland attorney James Logan the drink were being distributed to Board member Dianna Calfee pro- in its Nov. 1 report compared to last Jr. addressed the board Thursday local school systems as they should posed the resolution, citing changes year’s. night, explaining why it may want to be. the Basic Education Program Review The 2015 annual report omitted continue to appeal a recent decision Tennessee state law requires a 15 Committee of the Tennessee Board the following priorities which had made by Chancellor Jerri Bryant in percent tax be charged on liquor that of Education recently made to its been outlined in 2014: the case. is sold by the drink in places like funding recommendations. n Continue to implement the BEP “She only ruled partially,” Logan restaurants. It dictates 50 percent of The Basic Education Program is a 2.0 funding formula; said. the revenue should go to the state’s funding formula the state govern- n Decrease the funding ratio of In July, Bryant ruled Cleveland general fund for educational purpos- ment uses to help determine how psychologists to students from 1 per should keep the entire local portion of es, while 50 percent goes straight to much money each school system will 2,500 students to 1 per 500; the disputed tax revenues for its the local “political subdivision” to be Banner photo, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG get. The review committee is tasked n Decrease the funding ratio of school system. distributed the same way as county ATTORNEY James Logan Jr. speaks to the with making recommendations in an elementary counselors to students However, Logan questioned what property tax revenues. Bradley County Board of Education about recent annual report which may be used for from 1 per 500 students to 1 per should happen with revenues collect- Tennessee Code Annotated 57-4-306 happenings with a lawsuit over liquor-by-the-drink further decision-making by state 250; ed before the city passed a liquor-by- tax revenues. The board voted Thursday night to legislators. the-drink tax referendum in 2002. See APPEAL, Page 10 take further action on the matter. This year’s report omitted some See BEP, Page 10 Mentors’ McDonald breakfast shooting
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