KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — The Knox County Board of Education voted on Oct. 2 to defer action on a proposed $1,800,000 construction project at the UT Tower Plaza until staff returns with a firm, documented cost estimate.

Board member Butler moved to defer the item until the administration presents a firm proposal; Board member Fontenot Ridley seconded. The amended motion — to defer until a firm estimate is provided — passed on a roll-call vote recorded in the transcript as nine yes votes and no recorded no or abstentions.

Why it mattered: Board members raised concerns about the project’s price relative to other district facility needs and asked for clearer, itemized cost information before authorizing an expenditure from the district fund balance.

Discussion highlights: Board member Triplett said he had “some concern around the expense of that, the $1,800,000 for that” and contrasted the Plaza work with district school needs in his district. He noted prior central office staff reductions and asked whether staff could be relocated rather than spending the proposed construction sum.

District staff told the board they had received an unofficial cost estimate that afternoon indicating the construction work “would not exceed $500,000,” and they cautioned the board that a formal design and bid package were not yet complete. A district staff member said any unspent funds would roll back into the district fund balance.

Board questions and process: Several board members asked whether deferring would delay planning or construction timelines; the district replied a deferral would push back the timeline and that a prompt formal estimate could allow the project to proceed without further delay.

Outcome and next steps: The board’s amended motion to defer until a firm proposal and estimate is presented passed by voice and then roll-call, with the transcript recording nine yes votes. The district will return with a formal cost estimate and project documentation for the Plaza work before the board votes again.

Ending: The board approved other items on the agenda that night but removed the UT Tower Plaza construction item for separate consideration and deferred it pending clearer financial documentation.