Jackson County commissioners have rejected a proposed $105 million school bond referendum, removing the measure from the November ballot and leaving county and school leaders to reconsider several major construction projects.
The Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 against the referendum during its Sept. 1 meeting. Chairman Mark Letson cast the only vote in favor of allowing residents to decide the issue at the polls.
The proposed borrowing package would have helped finance a new consolidated middle school, improvements at Blue Ridge School, accessibility work at Smoky Mountain High School’s athletic facilities, a replacement bus garage and other districtwide maintenance projects.
Before the final vote, county officials estimated the bond would require a property-tax increase of approximately 5.26 cents per $100 of assessed value. Supporters said construction costs would likely continue rising if the projects were delayed. Opponents questioned the size of the package, its long-term interest costs and whether every proposed project should be completed at once.
Attention now turns to the planned middle school. Jackson County received a $52 million state grant for the project in 2024, but local funding will still be needed to complete the school as originally designed. Under the grant’s conditions, construction must begin by September 2027 or the county could risk losing the state money.
The county has already committed some funding to the middle-school project, meaning construction could continue with a reduced scope. Athletic fields, additional classrooms and other components could be delayed or removed to keep the project within available funding.
Commissioners and school officials are expected to continue discussing which projects should move forward and how they can be financed without the rejected bond package.
