The school board has, indeed, been advised over and over in repeated school system audits to close or consolidate some of these *extremely* small schools.

In the most recent such outside audit, the board was advised in 2001 by MJM out of Houston that it might save $20 million over 20 years if a south-lying cluster of elementary schools were consolodated or closed. In Bratton's 9th district, five such schools continue to operate within a three mile radius of one another.

It is the inordinately high personnel costs at these schools that is most problematic. Personnel costs, you may realize, comprise 85% plus of the school system's operating expense. Specifically, certain personnel *can* be "shared" among schools (like PE teachers, music teachers, librarians, and various guidance/speech/nursing personnel), and these staff often serve two or more schools. Other staff *cannot* be shared, though, including principals, office staff, custodial staff, and cafeteria staff. Efficient classroom sizes are sometimes problematic at these schools, too, with teachers instructing only 8 or 10 students.

Furthermore, the stingy BEP funding formula (that "B" stands for "basic"), will not direct state funds for these principals, office staff, custodial staff, and cafeteria staff to school populations less than a certain number (that magic number used to be 525 students, but I haven't looked at it in a while). The formula also pays a percentage of teacher salary on the basis of classroom size.

Consequently, local government carries an inordinate percentage of such costs for these *extremely* small schools, impacting its ability to better funds schools that operate more efficiently. Energy costs and repairs/maintenance costs are also inordinately high at these facilities, as they are generally the system's oldest and most decrepid buildings.

I'll concede a personal bias in my own consideration of this topic. Given that I live in a rural/suburban area, I find it hard to justify the continued operation of these *extremely* small elementary schools when, in other communities, many schools have overflow populations of more than double the number students South Knox, for instance, seeks to house in their own separate building. At both Powell Elementary and Powell Middle, my community, we have housed in trailers on the back parking lot (and for over 20 years) *twice* the volume of students as attend South Knox.

In an observation of another sort, I also think consolidation of some schools might finally bring about racial integration among the county's students. I reflect, in particular, on Maynard Elementary, where I volunteered for three years through the Project Grad program--the building was constructed in 1898 and continues to isolate its children in a "pocket of despair," I think. I offer this observation with every concern for some kids near to my heart.

We might argue, of course, that the problem is essentially one of trying to "back into" an income stream for school construction from the state that is obviously inadequate. That is certainly true, but too many Tennesseans remain steadfast in their belief that no new state revenues are needed, all the while failing to confront how state allocations might be adjusted to better benefit schools. No help there in the immediate future, I fear.

The question, then, becomes one of degree, namely: How small a school is too small, given our means? We can't have it both ways.

rocketsquirrel: "Students from South Knoxville would go to a renovated Dogwood Elementary School...brand new mega-elementary school already being renovated to make it more mega?"

Not to beat up on you, rs, but I meant to offer some context earlier WRT this concept of Dogwood being a "megaschool," as it's hard for any of us to stay abreast of circumstances outside our own school communities.

You see, there are an awful lot of school communities here in KC that would take exception to any assertion that Dogwood is a "megaschool," including these, some of which are twice the size of Dogwood:

Karns Elementary, 1195
A.L.Lotts Elementary, 1114
Farragut Intermediate, 999 *and*
Farragut Primary, 960
Powell Elementary, 900-ish
Brickey Elementary, 900-ish

Contrast with:

Gap Creek, 124
South Knox, 143 (90-ish last year)
Maynard, 158 (previously as low as 104)
Corryton, 200
Lonsdale, 204
Sunnyview, 263
West Haven, 264
New Hopewell, 275
Chilhowee, 278
Mooreland Heights, 280, all data per KCS website in 2/06.

Please understand that I'm not arguing in support of every KC elementary school being so large as that of Karns Elementary--I don't want that, either. But maybe sharing these numbers will enable some to better understand why those of us whose kids attend these true "megaschools" are clamoring for more efficient, more standardized school size?

Bizgirl: "Just a quick thought. Why not bring the other areas up instead of bringing this area down?"

I couldn't agree more! I firmly believe that more state funding is needed to better afford KCS the ability to "catch up" on all the many capital funding projects languishing on its plan, some in existence since city and county schools were consolidated in 1987.

Of course, stewardship of funds would remain an issue irrespective of any increase in funding the state might one day make available.

This responsibility to direct funds to specific projects on the basis of that project's *relative* efficiency will always be one of great concern (and argument). I fear we advocates for new money won't get much traction until we accept that responsibility.

Again --

Willamsburg Middle (Arlington, VA): 930
Passing Rates for Students Tested
Grade 8
Reading 93.4
Writing 92.7
Mathematics 93.5
History 93.9
Science 97.5

Size isn't the problem.

Tamara, nowhere in your post did you actually mention the education of the children, or the quality of that education. Only the infrastructure costs. Our children's education is not a comodity to be bargained away.

also, a "pocket of despair" may be such to you, but it is someone else's neighborhood.

We need schools within our communities. They are a measure of the health of the community. So are the churches. Our fearless leaders have moved all (many) of the schools and the churches out Middlebrook Pike and then act surprised when the neighborhoods they left go downhill. That's funny.

Gee, if the school board would approve Charter schools, they could reduce infrastructure costs that way, too.

Randy: "If you want to diversify the school, diversify the neighborhood."

Good point, Randy, and I agree. I talked to Stambaugh at the N-S by phone recently, with a question about the magnet school program, and I mentioned to him the need I saw for more mixed-income residential development in Knoxville.

His thought was that only so much "interference" was appropriate with regard to maintaining "free markets" (forgive me, JJ, if I paraphrase badly).

It is somewhat unfair that the task of racial integration should fall so heavily on school systems, I think. I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that one...

In a big hurry today, but I wanted to mention that I have repeatedly mentioned during the south waterfront process that the single best way Knox County can contribute to the revitalization of the waterfront is to support & improve South Elementary.

And BTW, the parents in IHP, which is zoned for Dogwood, are trying to get us rezoned for South. They want their kids to go there.