A quarter century after voting to disband its independent school district, Lynch residents could be facing the issue again after the city council recently agreed to a study on the feasibility of a district for the entire Tri-City area.

During Monday's regular council meeting, council member Carl Collins said he was concerned that an article in the Clover Fork Mountain Times may have led to some confusion about the city's position on the issue.

"The problem was that it was quoted that we supported the independent school drive," said Collins. "What we voted on was to have an independent study to come and show us the effects on the people that live in the city.

"We want to know what the effect is on them. We do support a higher education of any sort, but we also have to consider the retirees and fixed income people. We wanted facts and figures."

The article in question stated that Lynch, as well as Benham, Evarts and Cumberland, passed resolutions to seek an independent school district.

"Obviously it's with one intention, or why would they have passed a resolution in the first place," said Clover Fork Mountain Times editor Billy Soloe. "It's part of the decision process that they have to seek."

Soloe and others are promoting independent districts for both the Tri-City and Clover Fork areas as a response to the Harlan County School Board's decision to consolidate Cawood, Evarts and Cumberland high schools into the new Harlan County High School. The new school is scheduled to open in 2007 at Rosspoint.

Several city councils have voted in favor of a study on the feasibility of creating independent districts.

Those who oppose the idea have stressed that independent districts could bring increased costs to taxpayers.

"We're certainly not in support of an independent school system without a study," noted Lynch Mayor Tom Vicini.

The Lynch Independent School District was merged with the county district after taxpayers rejected a referendum in 1980 to fund the city's schools.

In other business, council members:

n Announced that bids for a waterline project will be opened Friday. Work is expected to begin within 30 days.

n Announced the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet had approved $50,000 of asphalt to repave city streets and alleys.

n Opened a bid by Mountain Enterprises for repaving work.