An interesting conversation developed in another unrelated thread. I am moving the comments here for further discussion of this controversial and important topic.
The issue boils down to, well several things. Should the new high school be Farragut Middle School or a new high school? How does a new high school built in a different district relieve crowding at Farragut High? Does the proposal go too far in relieving crowding at Farragut High by rezoning too many students? Does the plan take into account where the growth is occurring? Is $40 million too much for Knox County taxpayers to spend to help out the town of Farragut? Do Farragut residents feel they needed a new $40 million school? I think I've summarized it correctly, apologies if not.
Read more after the jump and join in the conversation...
Tamara Shepherd on Tue, 2007/02/20 - 9:06am:
In a quick (but off-topic) observation, I noticed another interesting comment on Brian's Blog.
Apparently, he attended the recent Farragut community meeting organized to discuss zoning issues relating to the new Hardin Valley High School.
Brian appears to endorse the notion that the new high school should become a new Farragut Middle, instead. He notes that the current Farragut Middle facility could become home to Farragut High's 9th and 10th grade population, while the existing Farragut High could house only the 11th and 12th grade students (lots of logistical problems here, but I'll not digress even further).
Wasn't this notion of a new west Knox County high school promoted in part to relieve overcrowding at Bearden High and Karns High, as well? These folks really *do* think they operate their own independent school system!
PT on Wed, 2007/02/21 - 10:03pm:
Yes, we thought it was supposed to relieve overcrowding at karns, bearden, farragut and even west high school according to the original memo that recommended a new high school be built. The last proposed HVHS zone from the school board did not rezone any current Bearden students to HVHS. The only Karns students rezoned to HVHS were those living in what is called Hardin Valley. The school board did not do adequate research on the growth in the southwest quadrant of knox county. The same data that suggested relief was needed at four high schools, now suggests all the growth is coming south of interstate 40 and west of pellissippi.
We are spending $40 million+ of taxpayers dollars to alleviate overcrowding in one community by building a school in another community. If Halls was overcrowded would you build the new school in the Powell community? That is what is being done. People don't seem to know the Town of Farragut boundaries or the high school zone. About half the population of Farragut High School lives in the Town of Farragut, the other resides in Knox County. Both areas consider themselves the Farragut community because life is centered around the schools --like other parts of the county. The high school should have been built in the northshore and pellissippi area -- the area with the most growth. The school board voted to put the school in the wrong location -- again our tax dollars at work. Most people will at least double the distance they travel to get to school. Some will travel four times the distance they drove to FHS. A small group of children who currently attend school together from kindergarten to 8th grade will be a small minority at their new high school. The whole Knox County school zones take little into consideration of managing feeder schools and keeping children together through high school. For example, Northwest middle school serves multiple high schools. This is not good for students. Other concerns include inexperienced teenagers driving on accident ridden Pellissippi Parkway or down Watt Road with all the trucks. Do you need more?
Tamara Shepherd on Thu, 2007/02/22 - 7:39am:
PT: "Do you need more?"
Well, I guess so. I've read your post through twice, and all I'm grasping is that you believe your community is entitled to utilize *all* of a $40+ million facility intended to relieve overcrowding for four school communities.
You ask, rhetorically, "if Halls was overcrowded would you build the new school in the Powell community?" I don't know where I'd build it, but I certainly wouldn't build it in Halls--it's overcrowded, remember? Farragut already has a primary/intermediate school serving 2000 children--does your community want a high school to serve 4000, too? Or does your community just want two high schools serving 2000 each? That wasn't the plan pitched to the rest of us.
You appear frustrated that "people don't seem to know the Town of Farragut boundaries or the high school zone." But I would think that the Town of Farragut boundary is irrelevant WRT a new school intended to serve Farragut *and* all these other communities--who knows where the Bearden, Karns, or West communities consider their boundaries to be, either? And the Farragut high school zone, obviously, is obsolete with the opening of the new school, so why would that be relevant?
You maintain that "most people will at least double the distance they travel to get to school," but isn't that because FHS had way too many students in attendance to begin with? You refer, in fact, to that half of the population outside of Farragut but within Knox County (and Farragut, BTW, is also in Knox County). Is this the "suburban Farragut suburb" population that you seek to keep intact? Why? Isn't it a given that some persons rezoned will need to drive further than they had before, as are those families you cite who are living in Hardin Valley and presently attending Karns? In every school zone, *someone* lives on the fringe of the zone.
And as for Northwest Middle School serving multiple high schools, that's not the exception, it's the general rule--especially in the suburbs. Either students from a given elementary school are routed on to one of two different middle schools, or students from a given middle school are routed on to one of two different high schools. With the exception of Farragut High, most of our high schools serve only around 1200 students, so how many Knox County students do you imagine attend school together from kindergarten through their senior years? Outside of Farragut, not many.
I understand that rezoning doesn't break up just schools, but also school communities, and I do feel the same way about my school community--while it lasts. Still, it was never the intention of Knox County taxpayers that this high school, so difficult to fund, should serve just Farragut. I don't believe other communities will allow that outcome, and, frankly, I don't like the notion, myself.
(P.S.--My 5th grader lives closer to Karns Elementary than to Powell Elementary, too, yet he is zoned for Powell.)
PT on Thu, 2007/02/22 - 11:17am:
Tamara, we are saying the same thing.
No we didn't think our community needed a $40 million dollar high school, but that is what the MPC and KCSB is now telling us.
Everyone was told that the new high school was being built to relieve overcrowding at four schools. But when the zone came out, the only students moved from Bearden, Karns or West were the 350 students from Karns who live in Hardin Valley. The rest of the students are coming from Farragut High School zone.
Now MPC says the growth is primarily in the area west of pellissippi and south of interstate 40. This is why we don't trust MPC numbers. When the decision was made, the growth was effecting all FOUR high schools.
This is why the community is in shock that in order to populate HVHS they suggested taking up to 800 students out of Farragut. That is more than the number needed to relieve overcrowding. You might remember last August that the county commission and school board requested funding to build the school for 2100 students. Mayor Ragsdale suggested to build it for fewer students, which would have saved $6 million dollars which could have been used on other county projects.
I hope this makes more sense. I would be happy to talk with you in detail. I am not trying to be argumentative. I just want to get the information out to people who care about Knox County and how are many is spent. This could happen in other areas.