Tennessee proposal seeks to move 14 schools out of flood plains

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has proposed spending $200 million on a plan to move schools out of flood plains.  

The initiative includes 14 schools across the state in urban, rural and suburban districts, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. The schools were identified through a study by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency as high risk for flooding damage, said Penny Schwinn, state commissioner of education. 

It was not immediately clear how the funding would be divided among the 14 schools proposed for relocation, and whether the state anticipates any additional match from local funding bodies. 

"With the use of state and one-time federal relief funds, Tennessee has the opportunity to proactively address anticipated risks to our students and schools and help rebuild schools in locations not susceptible to predicted flooding," the Tennessee Department of Education said.