It was standing-room only Monday night at the Roane County Courthouse for the vote on the latest school-board proposal for consolidation of the three Roane County high schools into one mega school.

When the votes were cast, it was two in favor of the proposal, 11 against, with two other commissioners abstaining.

The proposal, which would have consolidated  Rockwood, Harriman and Kingston high schools into one $63 million-plus school, called  for purchasing some 143 acres of property in a location across from the county park on Highway 70 in the Midtown area. It would also have included a proposed $0.23 county property tax-rate increase.

Last November, voters were asked to support a $50 wheel tax to help fund the plan – that was overwhelmingly defeated, as well.

The ball is in the school board’s court and it’s up to them to devise another plan. One board member, willing to go back to the table, announced several workshops that might eventually result in a plan the commission and school board could agree upon.