NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
The Metro school board met Tuesday for the first time to talk specifically about the $3.4 million in funding the state withheld from the district.
The money was withheld to punish the school board for defying a state order to approve a charter application from Great Hearts Academy.
While the board discussed several options during its meeting, any potential cuts will not happen right away.
"At this point in time we really don't feel a need to take immediate action," said Metro Schools Director Dr. Jesse Register.
Register did say one suggestion to recoup the money was to scale back a technology funding request he planned to make to Metro Council, but he said he doesn't think there will need to be any staff cuts.
"It's not so much what we have to cut. It's what we can't do," he said.
But some board members believe the state had no right to take the money and it may be necessary to file a lawsuit.
"I would hope that we could come together and have reasonable adult conversations about where we need to go, but I think that if we can not do that I am ready to take this to court," said board member Amy Frogge.
However, others say this whole Great Hearts ordeal is dragging on for too long and they believe the board's best course of action would be to move on.
As of now, the board has made no decision on cutbacks or a potential lawsuit. Board members plan to decide at their next meeting whether to pursue the possibility of filing a lawsuit.
The next school board meeting will include a vote on whether to look for an outside attorney, which would be a big step towards litigation.
Frogge said that if the school board decides not to sue she knows some parent groups that will likely file suit.
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