Sumner County budget battle takes economic toll on families - WKRN, Nashville News, Nashville Weather and Sports

As the budget battle rages on in Sumner County, many parents said the delayed school year is taking a toll on them economically.

Tonya Elkins is a working mother of five-year-old Ariana and nine-year-old Isaiah.

"I have had to take several vacation days from work to stay home with the kids," Elkins said.

The mother of two and social worker added, "There are several families like ours that we know of where one of the parents had to take that vacation time or pay extra for daycare because the kids are not in school."

Elkins, like many other parents, said she hopes the school board will give the go-ahead at an emergency meeting on Tuesday night to open schools as officials consider the latest funding proposal from the county commission, which included reallocating $800,000 for the 2012-2013 school year.

"We'll have to take this back and digest it and see what we're going to do," Director of Schools Del Phillips said following Monday night's meeting.

However Elkins, like many believe a budget agreement needs to be reached as quickly as possibly.

"They need to compromise, then find a long-term solution to these funding questions that we seem to face every year," she said.

Tuesday night's meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Board of Education.

Around 28,000 students were originally scheduled to return to school on Monday, August 6.

If students do not return to school by August 31, 20 days after the designated first day of school, football season, along with all other sports seasons will be canceled for the year due to TSSAA regulations.

Previous Stories: