Mon
Dec 4 2006
08:47 pm
Hardin Valley High School
By: Sandra Clark

Just caught the end of the school board workshop. The board will NOT vote on Wednesday on rezoning for HVHS. They're going to rethink it, although as one parent pointed out -- they've already had multiple workshops, etc.

Several speakers said the school should be built for 1500, not 2100. Meanwhile, the builders are pouring concrete. -- s.

Topics:
CathyMcCaughan's picture

school zoning

Submitted by CathyMcCaughan on Mon, 2006/12/04 - 9:08pm.

The zones should have been decided when they chose the location for the school. They need to quit trying to make all the wealthy Farragut parents happy and just make a decision.

mpower1952's picture

Do what's best for the kids

Submitted by mpower1952 on Tue, 2006/12/05 - 1:29am.

I haven't been following the details 'cause my kids are in college now. However, I think it is very important that they stop splitting up the classes as they graduate to high school. At Cedar Bluff, the middle school kids are split into two groups, east of and west of Cedar Bluff Rd. My kids were sent to Farragut HS while 2/3 of the class was sent to Bearden HS. For the last two or three years the west of CB rd. kids have been sent to Karns HS. This is a terrible system and needs to be corrected. I think all the CB kids should go to the new school. Bearden, Farragut, and Karns are all overcrowded so it makes sense not to add the CB class to any.

Be a blessing to someone today.

Bill Pittman's picture

The need was never established...

Submitted by Bill Pittman on Tue, 2006/12/05 - 12:13pm.

Personally, I believe that the need for a new school was never established; unless I'm mistaken, Knox County has ~53,000 students today just as it did when I graduated a quarter of a century ago. If you live on Chilhowee Drive, your kid is 10 miles from his/her school: Carter...by simply implementing the same level of fairness and allowing for any student to be bussed (sp?) 10 miles, we likely wouldn't need a new school at all.

My problem with the new school is that not only does the school follow the kids but the kids follow the school...in other words, expect more costly sprawl. An alternative that, to the best of my knowledge, was never considered is a great downtown high school to serve my neighborhood (Fourth & Gill), Old North, Island Home, Mechanicsville, Morningside, the CBID and Morningside. This would allow inward rezoning and alleviate overcrowding at Sprawl High.

If done well, it could spur even more interest in downtown and its contiguous neighborhoods. Maybe a charter school in cooperation with UT? Maybe utilize the Old Knoxville High School building and move its uses along with those in the AJ to the TVA Tower thereby putting better use to two, wonderful and historic buildings.

Or we can just create Sprawl High...

edens's picture

Actually, Sandra, I thought

Submitted by edens on Tue, 2006/12/05 - 2:28pm.

Actually, Sandra, I thought the "open enrollment" idea you wrote about the other day had some merit (although I also agree with the reader who commented how Hardin Valley is an awfully long haul for kids from East and South...)

But, then again, the idea is hardly a new one:

(link...)

Sandra Clark's picture

> Good column, Matt. I had

Submitted by Sandra Clark on Tue, 2006/12/05 - 3:54pm.

<< But I think the debate over Hardin Valley High and its attendant athletic fields is a fine opportunity to revisit one of the less controversial proposals put forth by Mayor Ragsdale’s “Every School a Great School” initiative: developing theme-based high schools and academies within schools, with open enrollment across the school system. >>

Good column, Matt. I had not seen it. And I didn't realize that theme-based high schools and academies within schools with open enrollment across the district was part of Ragsdale's initiative.

If it is, why is no one talking about it????? -- s.

edens's picture

Thanks, Sandra. As for open

Submitted by edens on Tue, 2006/12/05 - 4:22pm.

Thanks, Sandra.

As for open enrollment and "Great Schools," it was never touted much, but the goal was there:

(link...)

"Increase options and move toward smaller schools and smaller learning environments by developing theme-based high schools and academies within schools, with open enrollment across the school system"

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