The Hamblen County Board of Education passed its FY 2027 budget of $145,611,723.30 Tuesday afternoon after passage was delayed a week due to a discussion related to an amendment that would affect staffing.

At issue was whether the board would keep staffing exactly the same as the previous year, or make changes that included converting multiple contract employee positions into one full-time position and two part-time positions at a cost savings of roughly $32,000 Also, at issue was the elimination of a Crisis Counsellor position at a savings of $42,000. Officials indicated that the position’s responsibilities have been covered by other means.

Before the vote took place, School Board Member Clyde Kinder suggested compassion towards other board members on this vote.

“We’ve had a lot of discussions for a month on this where everybody has not seen eye-to-eye on this,” he said. “Let’s make a commitment that no matter how anyone votes, no one will feel hard towards anyone else.”

“Professionals can disagree on things, but when you make a decision, you move forward,” Superintendent of Schools Arnold Bunch said.

The budget without the amendments passed on a 6-1 vote with Board Mem- ber Carolyn Clawson abstaining.

Funding for the one full-time position and two-part time positions passed 5-1-1 with Vice Chair Jerrod Weems, Board Members Robert Workman, Darlene Smith, Bradley Harville and Chair Johnny Denton voting yes. Kinder voted no and Clawson abstained.

Elimination of the Crisis Counsellor position was approved 5-1-1 with Weems, Workman, Smith, Harville and Denton voting yes. Kinder voted no and Clawson abstained.

Bunch had presented the incomplete budget to the County Commission in a special meeting on Saturday. Because the amendments failed, Bunch said there was no reason to return to the commission.

“We do not to need to consider any changes to we had provided to the county commission,” Bunch said. “Those items are funded in the strategy that I briefed last time.”

Bunch said his office will inform the commission of the board’s decision.

“There is another budget working session on June 4. Someone from our office will brief the commission that the board has approved the budget that I briefed, has been passed,” he said.