"The Blount County Board of Education on Monday, June 19, cut its proposed 2023-24 budget by more than $2.1 million, to meet limits the county commission set last week."

However, "Blount school board approves $4.2 million for Heritage, William Blount artificial turf." And, just an FYI, the project was delayed because the school board originally did not put the project out for bids. The same company got the job, before and after the bid process.

They have $4.2 million for artificial turf but not $2.1 million for the general schools budget. Ah, priorities.

"The City of Alcoa filed a lawsuit Thursday, June 22, against Blount County over how county schools are spending millions of dollars in property taxes."

"The Alcoa Board of Education passed a revised 2023-24 budget on Tuesday, June 20, that cuts staff raises and includes revenue estimates it isn’t banking on."

"The revised budget also increases estimated sales tax revenue by $600,000 from what the school board passed last month, with $421,225 just to cover a state requirement that local funding show a “maintenance of effort” from the previous year.

“We had to add more revenue — that we’re not going to get — to meet maintenance of effort,” ACS Finance Director Tom Shamblin told the board."

Huh. Is that generally accepted accounting principles?