Old Hardin County schools get new lease on life

Nov. 16– Recently closed because of consolidation, Walnut Grove, Whites, and Nixon elementary schools won’t be razed but will instead continue to serve Hardin County and their communities.

Monday night, the Hardin County Commission unanimously voted to convey ownership of Walnut Grove and Whites to qualifying nonprofit corporations established to own and maintain the former schools for community use.

Nixon Elementary will live on, however, as an instructional facility. It is being given to the Savannah Industrial Development Corporation, which intends to allow Hardin County-based ISR Group, a rapidly growing national defense-related company, use the property.

Hardin County Mayor Kevin Davis said following the meeting that ISR plans to use Nixon’s classrooms to train operators to pilot remote-controlled drones.

Commissioners also conveyed ownership of the former Cerro Gordo school, which has been closed for years and was already being utilized by the community, to Cerro Gordo Community Center Inc.

The property transfers become final once the Hardin County Board of Education formally conveys the deeds to the properties to the county.

In other business, commissioners approved two recommendations from the Tennessee River Resort District Committee allocating funds generated through the county’s resort district status which allowed liquor by the drink.

The account currently has a balance of about $71,000.

"Christmas in the Park," being held at Pickwick Landing State Park on Dec. 10-11, received $7,700 and "Christmas by the River," set for Dec. 4 at Savannah, received $500.

In a positive economic note, Davis reported local sales taxes are up from a year ago.

The 1 cent local sales tax option allocated for school construction debt retirement generated $158,978 last October, up 3.2 percent from October 2009.