Tennessee official offers mind-blowing explanation for abruptly closing entire school district
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/14/1432321/-Tennessee-official-offers-mind-blowing-explanation-for-abruptly-closing-entire-school-district
Tennessee school district is making the news after it was announced the entire school district was closing up until further notice due to lack of funding. It is unimaginable this could happen in the United States, right? Especially so abruptly, in the middle of the school year, leaving parents and students in a lurch.
Clay County Director of Schools Jerry Strong has offered an explanation for the shocking closure. Inept management? Nope. Inability to pass local taxes to support the school? Oh, no way. The head of Clay County schools says the whole thing is due to Obamacare:
"Clay County's inability to generate the revenue to offset the mandates is what's caused this to come to a head," he said. "The straw that broke the camel's back was really the Affordable Care Act for us and it has made it very difficult for us to have our employees properly covered and meet the mandates of the law. That was going to require new revenue and the commission felt like they couldn't do that through a tax increase."
Strong said the county commission, which funds the schools, has declined to increase property taxes and a proposed wheel tax referendum vote won't take place until March.