A new Wallins Elementary School is part of a $17.5 billion state budget plan approved Wednesday by the Kentucky House of Representatives.

The voting followed closely along party lines, which means approval by the Kentucky Senate could be difficult. Only one Democrat voted against the measure in the House and one Republican voted for it.

Budget language authorizing the funding for Wallins, as well as $1 million in renovations at the Harlan Independent Schools, was supported by Harlan County’s legislative delegation of representatives Rick Nelson, Leslie Combs and Fitz Steele. State Rep. Tim Couch, a Republican whose district includes part of Harlan County, voted against the measure.

Nelson said the budget provides $11.4 million to the Harlan County Board of Education for a new Wallins school to replace the current 64-year-old facility, which has far outlived its useful life, according to county school officials. The budget also includes $1 million in renovations at the Harlan Independent Schools.

“I was glad we were able to step up to the plate for the people of the Wallins Creek community and their children,” Nelson said.

“Our rural school districts are working hard to give our students a quality education,” said Combs. “Improving our schools means better opportunities for our children. It all starts with education.”

County school officials have stressed the need for a new Wallins Elementary School, which will be constructed along U.S. 119, and point out that the current building is heated with the original coal-fired furnace and no parts are available if it fails. School officials also say the current facility is dangerous to students’ safety because it is located too close to the “heavily traveled” KY 219.

“Wallins Elementary lies in a floodplain and still shows the effects of the massive 1977 flood, which rose to 6 feet within the school’s classrooms. Local and state officials have worked in the past to win financial help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to no avail,” according to a press release from the Kentucky House. “Wallins Elementary is the only school in the county to designated as a Category 4 school, reserved for schools in dire need of replacement.”

Wallins is the county district’s number one priority on its facility plan following the completion of Harlan County High School in 2008.

“From what we understand, our legislators worked really hard on this, and our magistrate, Jim Roark, and fiscal court also lobbied hard for it. It shows what we can accomplish when everyone works together,” said county school board chairman Gary Farmer. “It has another big hoop to go through with the Senate, but it’s the closest we’ve been. We’re on the list finally for replacement, so even if it does fall through we’re at least on the list when (funding) does become available.”

“We’re just tickled to death for the people in the 5th District that it passed the first hurdle, and I'm hoping they’re able to find the money to see the project through. It’s something long overdue for our children,” Roark said. “We've worked hard on this for a long time with Congressman Hal Rogers and the Army Corps of Engineers, and I've got high hopes that this project can finally be completed.”

The budget must be approved by the Senate before becoming a reality, a point driven home by Steele when he was contacted by a reporter Wednesday.

“I don’t want to promise anything until it’s a sure thing,” he said. “I don’t want to get people’s hopes up. Once it’s a done deal, I’ll have a comment.”

Farmer said the Wallins project “would have to be more ready to build” than any other school on the list, noting that the 17.5 acres for the school had already been purchased and state approval had already been secured, both for the site and exits.

“It’s not like we have to go out here and look for property and get the property approved. We already have that,” he said. “We’re ready to go.”