The Jackson County Board of Education has been working for years to come up with the funding to build a new Kenna Elementary school.

In 2006, voters rejected a levy that would have paid for the plan.

Now school leaders are asking the State School Building Authority for close to $10 million. Questions remain as to where the building should be.

One option is a site at Kenna Ridge Industrial Park on land the Jackson County Board of Education already owns.

A committee, made up of Kenna Ridge site supporters have united with the opposition to suggest an alternative location adjacent to the current Kenna Elementary School site.

"When you build a school, your talking a 50 year investment," said Jackson County Schools Superintendent Blaine Hess. "We just want to make sure we fully investigated the possibilities."

Delegate Mitch Carmichael, (R) Jackson County, has spoken out against the Kenna Ridge site. He says the location next to the current school is a better option.

Hess says it will likely be more difficult to develop.

"That site will take much more development, but it is an option that the board asked me to look at," " said Hess. "We are talking to the land owner about the cost to purchase the land we need."

However, parents say the potential for flooding at the current Kenna elementary site is just one of the problems. They say the location is cut off from technology such as cell phones, internet and cable.

As the debate rolls on the one thing most people can agree on is the need for a new building.

"As PTO president, I don't care where they put it as long as we get one, but personally as a parent I believe the Kenna Ridge site is fine," said parent Jennifer Lemmons.

The Jackson County Board of Education will have to vote to decide which site they prefer.

They will take that proposal to the State School Building Authority in March. The SBA will likely decide sometime in April whether or not to fund the plan.