The crowd numbered about 200, Brian Hornback of Brian's Blog along with numerous sources were spread throughout the auditorium. The meeting started at 6:02 p.m. The Superintendent of Schools began the meeting with the comment that this is the beginning of a solution for 4 high schools over the next 10 years, the intent is for all 4 high schools to house 1800 students. Today, BHS has 1900 students with mobile units. The potential impact to Bearden High School is minimal. He stated that the presentation from last week at Farragut High School has been "tweaked". The Superintendent then introduced a few guests including the Knox County School Board Chair, Vice-Chair Cindy Buttry of the 3rd district and Thomas Deakins "the new board member" Deakins actually represents the sixth district. The Superintendent must have forgotten. The board has directed staff to collect information and the information will be tweaked again before the Karns meeting.
The Schools Public Relations Representative indicated that there are some subject matter experts in attendance representing transportation, high school, curriculum, schools facilities, pba, two representatives of mpc and the Asst. Superintendent of administrative services.
On 10/23/06 an overview of information received at the three meetings will be presented to the School Board. Slide 10 of the 23 slides represent 21,000 students. The school system does not want to zone from one schools prz (parental responsibility zone) into another zone. The gray area from Karns to HVHS represent 350 students. The blue area location of Farragut would need to stay at Farragut. The pink area would need to stay at Bearden. The belief at first blush is these areas do not need to be rezoned. The yellow area need to stay at Karns. The entire white area is in play to remain or to be rezoned to Hardin Valley.
Comment cards were made available for those present to fill out and or to take and mail in to the central office. At this point the floor was opened up for discussion – "you will have more questions than we have answers."
It was revealed that properties entering westland drive like Bennington subdivision, Roefield and Manor @ Roefield are not in consideration. Gettysvue subdivision – is under consideration a parent that resides in Gettysvue said “we can get out on Ebenezer Rd, if we need to.”
A student asked will Hardin Valley High School have Football, track, soccer etc. – The PR guys said “that is our intent”
The questgrandfatherthering was raised. The answer was that no recommendation has been made to the bograndfatherthering. In the past, they have not zoned juniors and seniors. How about Transportation? – the board has never provided transportation for grandfathered students.
A well intended woman asked about allowing companies to provide tiles on a wall of fame to contribute to the new school. She stated "You are setting limits on our students." Brian's Blog will be interested in purchasing a tile for the Hardin Valley Wall of Fame, provided it says
http://brianhornback.blogspot.com and
www.brianhornback.com We will spend our one year advertising budget for a tile .
A resident of the Woods @ West Valley said "the property the school board first considered for the high school." "I am pleading with you I went to BHS, I have a student that will be a Junior at BHS and a freshman – two students at separate schools. Your job is to make it right on paper. Please consider grandfathering." A review of the traffic patterns around Geo. Williamsnecessaryneccesary.
A question was asked about Honors and AP classes at Bearden -vs- Karns and now Hardin Valley. Brian Hornback of Brian's Blog three years ago examined the Honors and AP courses offered at Farragut, Bearden and Karns and they are comparable. The school district will examine how to manage the Honors / AP classes. It was commented that the school districts intent is to offer it all.
A question arose about grandfathering in juniors / seniors. Brian's Blog notes that this is rarely approved by the board.
Debby Monroe – a local PTA Representative spoke about the difference in intent / action and then insulted everyone present by saying "if people would attend commission / school board meetings, the outcome would be different." She spoke about Mr. Hedgepeth recently speaking to a parent group about , small academies acadamies, "students that stay together and form relasucceedips succed." She asked that Middle schools stay together.
A gentleman asked, Are the 4 high schools going to met our needs in 10 years?
Another gentleman asked about the Cedar Bluff community map. "My daughter just graduated from FHS, I have a daughter that is a junior at KHS and son that is an eighth grader." They could all three graduate fseparatee seperate high schools. The school system staff replied that we will need to look at areas recently rezoned.
Another gentleman asked about this "Intent –vs- reality: what consideration for students with gifts, athletic or academic."The Reprepresentativeresentative said that it is all speculative. The gentleman stated "If you add up Farragut white plus purple istudents50 studnets. The PR Representative then said "and the Farragut people say, Thank you."
A PTA Representative spoke about Parent friendly school – "if you parents drive out 10 – 20 miles, it isn’t parent friendly. Look at school districts – Have some faith – people will move. There is lots of land out there. She indicated that she graduated from Farragut High in 1988, a class of 688. She said, I had a parking place, never realized it was overcrowded." She concluded, "Sometimes we get caught up in numbers."
Another woman asked that the school district provide the number of transfers granted every year @ BHS and the number of guardian transfers every year @ BHS. The comment was made that Bearden High School is closed to transfers with the exception of
three types of transfer 1) Racially identified 2) NCLB. 3)we will have to report back the third.
Another citizen asked a question, How many zoning alternatives will there be? No answer was given.
A resident of Woods @ West Valley indicated that her oldest would be a freshman, there is a new subdivision being built across the street, with another subdivision under consideration. Traffic is a problem and transportation is a concern along George Williams Road.
Another resident indicated that she travels the backroads to West Valley and every morning Pellissippi Parkway is backed up, with traffic sitting, what time will the buses have to leave in order to arrive on time.
The PR Representative indicated that they waccumulateue to accumalate the list of options for the staff and board to consider. The School Central Staff will develop it into a proposal, it will then be posted on the website.
A resident rose and said "we know that you have conflicting needs, keep kids, families together, transportation. How would you do that at HVHS with onsophomoresen and sophmores. No band, no football. The schools PR Representative said "obviously there will have to be growth in the area. Comparable assets."
A gentleman rose and said "Do the builders that make good bucks. Are they in any way responsible for providing help? If not, can they?" What he is actually speaking to is impact fees. When a piece of farm land is developed into a 120 home subdivision, it provides a large amount of property tax revenue to support the school district. The Schools PR Representative said that these would need to be taken to the funding body - County Commission.
A gentleman rose and said. "The problem you have is there is a credibility gap with the Knox County Schools. Your talking to people that have poured their heart and soul into BHS and FHS to make it more than the normal minimal education requirements." "If the school system really means what it says, you will not force one kid to go to HVHS until you have everything, band equipment, sports etc.""If you canÂ’t do it right, donÂ’t do it."
A female speaker then rose and said her student has attended. Lotts, West Valley and now Bearden. She said the meeting last week with the residents of Farragut, they said that only Farragut residents should attend Farragut schools. She said, "Stop naming schools after communities, Farragut is an issue. Put the feeder schools together."She asked for the two repremetropolitan the Metropolitian Planning commission to identify themselves. "When you plan, think. Planniyou'remmission get you'r act together."
A resident of Cedar Bluff spoke and said "I have a student at Cedar Bluff Middle, I can’t vote for the fifth district school board member. My daughter goes to Karns High School, Cindy Buttry represents Karns High School, I can’t vote for her. Thomas Deakins – I can vote for you, you do not represent any schools that my kids attend."
A resident pointed out that traffic at Hardin Valley and Pellissippi Parkway is deplorable
A gentleman pointed out that the growth capacity at BHS is at 90% and FHS at 70% "What criteria will you use to determine which kids in the white area will go."
The PR Representative said that Traffic and Egress is a factor. That is why we are here.
A gentleman said "You have to be able to explain why your decision is what it is. You have to be able to quantify it."
Another resident explained that she and her family recently sold farm land in Hardin Valley near the High School. The Subdivision will have 120 houses and 5 other subdivisions are planned, nearby.
A lady ended the evening with "transportationpecurriculumsporation, curriculmn etc to quantify the plan that is presented. If you can make rational and quantifable reasons, I will go."
Last evening at the School Board Workshop Vice Chair Cindy Buttry took a stand asking that the HVHS zone line be released prior to the November 20, 2006 Workshop where the zone lines will be presented with Board and public discussion. The School Board Chair immediately said, No there will be NO public discussion on November 20. Cindy Buttry said that is not what we told the communities.
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