by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“Just a little over a year ago we realized we were losing students to homeschool programs,” said Rachel Shields, Secondary Supervisor who oversees the Virtual Academy. “We wanted to meet them in the middle and provide an opportunity for them to keep them in the district and not lose them to other programs.” At the Jan. 12 Franklin County School Board meeting, Shields provided an overview of the virtual school program. The board also heard an update about concerns prompted by the state’s new Education Freedom Scholarships, which provide tuition supplements for students attending private school far exceeding the per-student allocation to public schools.

Shields capped enrollment in the Virtual Academy at 30, with a goal of 15 students the first year. She phoned over 100 parents urging them to enroll their children in addition to sending letters and hosting orientation nights. The Academy provides instruction for grades 6-8.

Allison Dietz, Sewanee Elementary School Principal, serves in the dual role of principal at the Academy. “We started in August with 10 students,” Shields said. “I was very excited to have 10. Seven of those were students we regained to the district.”

“Starting an online program seemed easy,” Shields said, “But you’re starting a new school, It has its own set of challenges when you don’t have the students sitting in the classroom to do morale things with and parents dropping their kids off making them easy to contact.” Shields acknowledged, “Two of the seven went back to their homeschool program, but the others we kept in the district [although attending] brick-and-mortar schools. We’ll continue the next school year with middle grades and hope to increase the enrolment. Our goal is to transition into the high school grade level.”

“What I appreciate,” said Director of Schools Cary Holman, “is the parents quickly realized students were held to a very high standard and how serious we are about education. If virtual school is what it takes for them to realize how serious we are about education, that’s what we’ll keep doing.”

With district funding directly linked to student enrollment, other new challenges follow from the state’s Education Freedom Scholarship program. Board member Sarah Marhevsky stressed the inequity in private school receiving the full-amount of the state’s $7,295 per pupil allocation while public schools only receive a percentage of that amount. “For our county it’s roughly 70 percent,” Marhevsky said. “We’re getting $5,106 per student, and the county has to kick in the remaining $2,188.”

For the 2025-2026 school year, the state capped scholarship awards at $20,000 with $10,000 designated for low-income students. Citing the eligibility table, with a family of four earning $173,160 qualifying as low-income, Marhevsky observed, “Interesting choices there.” The program cost the state $144 million the first year. The original proposal called for increasing the number of scholarship vouchers to 25,000 for the 2026-2027 school year, but Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton has proposed doubling the number of vouchers issued to 40,000.

Touching on another concern, Marhevsky said the Tennessee School Board Association is urging the General Assembly to allocate full funding for special education preschool students. “We passed a resolution on this. It [special education preschool] is mostly supported by the district, but it’s also required by law,” Marhevsky insisted

The board recently completed a self-evaluation, weighing performance against nine standards. With the highest possible score of 4, the board’s overall composite score was 3.25. “There was some good constructive criticism,” said Board Chair CleiJo Walker. The evaluation can be viewed on the meeting agenda for the January meeting at Franklin County Schools TN - Meeting Information.

The board will meet on Feb. 16 next month, rather than the regular meeting date of the second Monday.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) can provide up to $1 million in funding for counties and municipalities to undertake a wide array of projects ranging from playgrounds to fire halls to wastewater treatment plants. At a Jan. 8 public hearing at Monteagle City Hall, Southeast Tennessee Development’s Stacie Willoughby presented an overview of the options available to Monteagle, the caveats, and what might enhance Monteagle’s chances of being among the fortunate grant recipients. Willoughby serves as director of the Project Administration Department which facilitates the grant application process and makes sure grant recipients stay in compliance. She calls herself a “professional problem solver.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awards money for CDBGs to the states, and the states administer the grantee selection and oversight process. Tennessee received $26.6 million from HUD for 2026. A grantee can only have one open grant at a time. Monteagle received the full $1 million in 2023 for fire department equipment, skidders, and two trucks.

“We were very excited about that,” Willoughby said. “We’re closing out that grant, so Monteagle is eligible to apply again in 2026.” The deadline is March 20.

Three of the six grant categories provide funding for water or sewer related projects: water system rehabilitation, sewer system rehabilitation, and water line extension. The other three categories provide funds for fire department and EMA services, such as the grant Tracy City received for a firehall in 2024 (Public Health and Safety); improvements to roads, stormwater mitigation, and construction of public buildings such as libraries or community centers (Community Infrastructure); and rehabilitation of public buildings and downtown revitalization projects such as playgrounds (Community Revitalization). Willoughby pointed out “beautification” projects did not qualify for funding.

Integral to the scoring process and HUD objectives, to qualify for a CDBG an awardee must be able to prove 51 percent of the population who benefits from the project have low to moderate incomes. Monteagle Alderman Dean Lay asked if that would disqualify Monteagle from receiving a grant for sewer system rehabilitation since the primary beneficiaries would be commercial businesses such as restaurants and motels wanting to connect to the sewer system. Willoughby explained, sewer rehabilitation “would be considered a non-direct benefit since if Monteagle is doing well it will effect everybody in the community.” Resident Martha Ann Pilcher observed, “Motels mean jobs and taxes. Sales tax revenue is Monteagle’s only income.”

Lay also asked if serving areas outside the city limits would disqualify Monteagle from applying for a sewer rehabilitation CDBG. Willoughby dismissed the concern — “The city owns the sewer system.”

“Water and sewer rehabilitation projects usually score well, especially if you have a system that struggled in the past,” Willoughby said. “All over Tennessee we have aging infrastructure and growth that can’t keep up.” Willoughby acknowledged Monteagle would be competing against its neighbors for grant awards.

Alderman Grant Fletcher asked if Monteagle could combine several smaller projects from different categories. “You can only apply in one area,” Willoughby said. Citing the costly project underway of mitigating inflow and infiltration of stormwater into the sanitary sewer, Fletcher asked if an applicant could request funding for part of a project. “If it’s one $2.5 million project, we can submit that as the budget with CBDG covering part of that and look at your capital fund for the rest or stacking grants,” Willoughby said. “We stack grants all the time, but it is risky. You may get one grant, but you may not get another.” She also cautioned funding from all the grants sources might not come in at the same time, preventing a project from moving forward.

In addition, since CDBGs require a 15 percent matching contribution from the recipient, applicants must pass a resolution stating they can provide the match. A $1 million award with a 15 percent match of $150,000 would bring the total budget to $1,150,000 so the match would be $172,500. Citing another financial consideration, Willoughby said the project budget needed to include engineering and architectural expenses.

Looking to the timeline, Willoughby stressed if Monteagle decided to apply, once they decided on a project and notified her, procuring professional services such as an engineer or architect typically took up to three weeks, limiting the time she would have left to prepare a cost estimate and application before the March 20 deadline. Tennessee usually announced grant awardees in November or December. The grant contract process took another two months, Willoughby said. Together with other requirements, these factors could push the onset of construction to May. Further stymieing progress, every step of a project from environmental impact assessment to design specs to bid awarding required state approval, Willoughby noted.

“The first step is the public hearing,” Willougby said. “The next step is deciding if you want to apply and what for.”

Monteagle Mayor Greg Maloof thanked Willoughby and praised her for always being available and responsive in his interactions with SETD. Maloof anticipates holding a community meeting in the near future.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“The [revised site plan] showing the way we originally approved it, is not how it’s built” said Planning Commissioner Katie Trahan at the Jan. 6 Monteagle Planning Commission meeting objecting to the revised site plan for the already under construction Monteagle Market on West Main. “This is not acceptable,” Trahan insisted. Commissioner Alec Mosley concurred, “What’s the point in having a site plan when it’s built differently.”

Trahan pointed out the tanks were in a different location from what was shown on the site plan and the gas pumps were at an angle, rather than in a straight line as depicted. “This could affect traffic and landscaping issues,” Trahan said. She observed the contractors started excavation for the tanks before Thanksgiving and the site plan could have been updated to reflect the change. “We should have something accurate to look at,” Trahan stressed.

The one change on the revised site plan showed two parking spaces moved to the right of the entrance, with all parking in a line. Engineer Liz Rodriquez said the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) agreed to approve relocating the parking spaces if the agency received a letter from the planning commission authorizing the change.

On the advice of town planner Jonathan Rush, the commission rejected the revised site plan and voted to require a new site plan accurately depicting what was built and what would be built and prohibiting further changes without the commission’s authorization.

Taking up another site plan, the commission tabled approval of the proposed TownePlace Suites project. Engineer Christian Sawyer read from an email exchange with Monteagle engineer Travis Wilson in which the contractor agreed to assume any additional costs resulting from replacing the I-24 bridge, a TDOT project. “I would feel better if the site plan had a note [documenting the agreement],” Mosley said. Also at issue was the location of water and sewer lines. Similar to the Monteagle Market project, TDOT wanted approval from Monteagle before rendering a decision. Sawyer said the contractors had modified water and sewer line location in keeping with Wilson’s recommendations. The commission wanted direct confirmation from Wilson before granting approval. A final unresolved point was the business’s sign, still under design. “It has been submitted as public record there is a sign,” Rush said. “It shouldn’t be separated from the site plan.”

Revisiting the long disputed Petro truck stop project, resident Billie Best brought several considerations to the commission’s attention. Best said recently RBT, the Petro contractor, had attempted to pour footers. Best noted the RBT contractors argued they did not begin the project because of pending litigation. The argument was grounds for the project being grandfathered in and exempted from the new Monteagle stormwater ordinance. “There is still pending litigation,” Best said.

Best also cited discrepancy in the RBT contractor’s claim that the Monteagle Truck and Tire property would ultimately be deeded to the RBT project. “That property has never been deeded to RBT as far as I know,” Best observed. The site plan approval was conditional upon having “a means of egress onto Forsite Avenue,” Best said. “Without the means of egress [via the Monteagle Truck and Tire property}, they have no highway entrance permit.”

Best recommended, going forward, the commission eliminate “conditional site plan approval.”

“We will take that under advisement,” said Commission President Richard Black. According to Best, residents neighboring the Petro project are now represented by an attorney acting pro bono. “That development for that piece of property is bad for the town,” Best said. “It is bad for our air, it is bad for our water, it is bad for our traffic.”

The University’s Easter Semester Convocation will be at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, in All Saint’s Chapel. The ceremony will feature the installation of Jennifer Cooley as dean of the College. New members will be inducted into the Order of the Gown, and, in accordance with a tradition established by Vice-Chancellor Rob Pearigen, the teaching and scholarship of the faculty will also be recognized and honored with a convocation address delivered by a member of the University faculty. This year’s remarks will be given by Professor and Chair of the Politics Department Mila Dragojević. A livestream is available here <https://new.sewanee.edu/parents-families/convocation-live-stream/>.

In the fall of 2024, TennGreen Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, and The Conservation Fund successfully acquired 670 acres of ecologically significant, forested land adjacent to Savage Gulf State Park in Grundy County. This collaborative conservation achievement has now taken its final step: the land has been officially transferred to the State of Tennessee, where it will be permanently managed as part of Savage Gulf State Park.

We are deeply grateful to the following partners and supporters whose visionary funding made this project possible: the Open Space Institute, the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund, the Lyndhurst Foundation, Mary Lynn Dobson, Carolyn & Jack Long, and the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks.

“This project is a powerful example of what we can achieve through conservation partnerships. It builds on the legacy of our very first land protection effort in Tennessee, within what is now Savage Gulf State Park, and continues our commitment to safeguarding ecologically rich landscapes and expanding one of the Southeast’s most scenic public lands,” said Laurel Creech, Tennessee State Director for The Nature Conservancy.

The newly protected 670 acres rest within the Middle Cumberland Plateau Conservation Opportunity Area, a region identified in the Tennessee State Wildlife Action Plan as having exceptional habitat value.

The property also contains more than one mile of streams which flow directly into the Collins State Scenic River. The portion of the river within Savage Gulf State Park is designated a Class II Pastoral River Area, a legal status given to free-flowing, unpolluted waterways where agricultural and recreational uses harmoniously coexist with public enjoyment and ecological protection.

“We are pleased to work with TennGreen Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and The Conservation Fund on a successful project which is focused on important sensitive lands and waters in Tennessee. The protection of these lands adjacent to the Savage Gulf State Park will benefit Tennesseans for decades while promoting biodiversity, recreation, and watershed protection,” lauded Wayne Anthony, Timberland Investment Resources’ Senior Investment Forester.

“Savage Gulf is yet another feather in the cap of Tennessee’s world-class state park system,” Zachary Lesch-Huie, Tennessee state director for The Conservation Fund, added. “This new park safeguards wildlife habitat and an unparalleled river ecosystem for the benefit of folks across the Volunteer state, and I’m proud of the role The Conservation Fund played in bringing it to life.”

Numerous rare species have been documented on or near the property, including the wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum) and the eastern slender glass lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus longicaudus).

Additionally, the endangered white fringeless orchid (Platanthera integrilabia) and yellow crested orchid (Platanthera cristata) have been documented on the tract. Notably, Savage Gulf State Park is home to one of the largest remaining populations of white fringeless orchid. By securing this property, we are ensuring that these species — and many others — can continue to thrive in the wild, uninterrupted by development or fragmentation.

Friends of South Cumberland State Parks is also proud to have been a collaborator in this “Tangible expression of our mission, ‘To protect, improve, and expand the state parks of the South Cumberland Plateau, and to educate and inspire others to join in this work,” added Ned Murray, Executive Director of Friends of South Cumberland State Parks. “We are grateful to TennGreen Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, and The Conservation Fund for their leadership.”

Located in Grundy and Sequatchie counties, Savage Gulf became a Tennessee State Park in September 2022 after separating from South Cumberland State Park to allow for more concise management. This world-class park features some of Tennessee’s most scenic wilderness areas, including the nearly 19,000-acre Savage Gulf State Natural Area alongside the Great Stone Door area.

“The Open Space Institute is proud to help expand Savage Gulf State Park by 670 acres, ensuring that this ecologically rich landscape remains protected for generations to come,” said Joel Houser, OSI’s Director of Capital Grants. “This project reflects OSI’s commitment to climate resilience and connectivity — two critical factors for safeguarding wildlife and water resources in the face of a changing climate.”

By incorporating this property into Tennessee’s world-class park system, “We are investing in long-term ecological health and creating opportunities for people to experience and enjoy these remarkable lands,” Houser continued.

This expansion of Savage Gulf State Park reaffirms the power of partnership in conserving Tennessee’s natural legacy. With this addition, more habitat is protected, more watersheds are secured, and more opportunities for outdoor recreation are made possible. Together, we continue to build a resilient, connected landscape — one that will enrich the lives of Tennesseans today and far into the future.

Following an Oct. 22 announcement to the community, Sewanee Village Ventures (SVV) will begin initial stages of the construction process for 48 new apartments for employees beginning Thursday, January 8th. This first phase will consist of harvesting timber as part of a larger project managed by the Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability (OESS). Following, site clearing will take place in preparation for construction scheduled to begin in May 2026. Illustrations, floorplans, and a site plan for the two three-story buildings can be found online here.

Expanding employee housing options is a key priority within the University’s strategic plan. Adding apartments in the Village significantly advances the University’s ability to provide attractive and affordable housing in Sewanee, while creating an additional pathway for many employees to live on the Domain. Importantly, this initiative will help reverse the decades-long trend of faculty and staff living farther from campus, and foster greater interaction and connection with our students.

A groundbreaking will be scheduled for April 2026, and construction will take place between May 2026 and the summer of 2027 with the goal of welcoming employee residents shortly thereafter.