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Committee proposes that Kingsport take over Sullivan North or South
BLOUNTVILLE — A Joint Facilities Committee Monday night presented a proposal that Kingsport’s school system eventually assume operation of Sullivan County’s Sullivan North High School or Sullivan South High School.
Those were among two of five proposals the committee gave for schools affected by the Kingsport urban growth boundary to the third joint meeting of the Kingsport and Sullivan County boards of education.
Jerry Cole — chosen to serve on the committee by the two city and two county appointees — said any of the proposals would require cooperation, collaboration, trust and a willingness to do things differently.
County schools have too much capacity, while city schools are nearing capacity and in years to come are projected to need more high school and middle school space.
The committee has worked since around the holidays on plans that would keep students in their neighborhood schools tuition free and be prudent with school building resources.
The idea is that county school space for about 3,300 students is unused in the western end of the county, which the city needs as it grows school population mostly by annexation.
“We’re not addressing political ramifications or financial ramifications,” Sullivan County Schools Assistant Director Gene Johnson said, adding that the group did not look at a school system consolidation since voters in 1981 and 1989 voted down consolidated government, which would have included consolidated schools.
Neither did the group look at the logistics of the county having a negotiated teachers contract and the city not, nor the funding of North and South by late 1970s rural bonds not paid by city residents.
Sullivan County Director of Schools Jack Barnes and BOE member Jim Kiss questioned some of those capacity numbers taken from a Knoxville Public Housing Authority study the County Commission commissioned two years ago.
“I think a thousand at North would fill it up,” Kiss said of North shown as having 866 students and a capacity for 775 more for a total of 1,641.
Johnson said if the boards go forward with the proposals, more research would be needed on capacity and other data.
Other members of the committee are Sullivan County Maintenance Supervisor Joe Mike Akard, Kingsport City Schools Finance Director David Frye and KCS Assistant Superintendent Damon Cathey.
“We can’t do fixes in the North and South zone that are going to hurt (Sullivan) East and (Sullivan) Central, county BOE member Larry Harris said.
County BOE Chairman Ron Smith and city BOE President Susan Lodal, along with Barnes and city Superintendent Richard Kitzmiller, reviewed the proposals Friday.
“I think it’s (annexation in the urban growth boundary) going to happen,” county BOE member Dan Wells said.
“If we just sit on our hands and wait for something to happen, it’s too late,” said Smith.
City BOE Vice President Wally Boyd said it boils down to two questions: What’s best for the students and “Can we afford it?”
Lodal and Smith said it was too soon to say which proposals might be pursued, and Cole said the five proposals may germinate other ones or hybrids.
Both school board presidents said their boards likely would review the report — the county BOE in a work session and the city BOE at its March 26 retreat — and then have a fourth meeting to discuss a course of action, if any.
Following is a rundown of the committee’s work:
•Proposal A: “The year following complete annexation of the northern urban growth boundary (UGB) or 50 percent of the homes in the current North zone, whichever comes first, Kingsport City Schools will assume operation of North.”
The city system would address the needs of elementary and middle school students. Brookside Elementary, North and potentially a new city facility might be used.
In addition, the two systems would work jointly to use space at Ketron Intermediate School to serve K-7 students in the city, with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and County Commission to “explore and accommodate the school overlay zone, since Ketron will remain a county school.”
The county BOE recently won a $15.4 million low-interest federal stimulus loan to renovate and enlarge Ketron.
In the South zone, the county would continue to operate South and Rock Springs Elementary, but Kingsport would assume operation of Sullivan Elementary, Miller Perry, Colonial Heights Middle School, Sullivan Middle and North.
•Proposal B: “In 2015 or when Kingsport annexes a substantial portion of the southern UGB area, Kingsport City Schools will assume operation of South and its feeder pattern.”
When the city annexes the southwest area of the UGB, Sullivan Elementary and Sullivan Middle zones will become a school overlay zone operated by the city system, serving county students outside the UGB southwest to Blair’s Gap.
Further, when the city annexes the Colonial Heights area served by Miller Perry Elementary, that would become a school overlay zone operated by the city serving students outside the UGB.
Middle school students would be served by a single facility at Rock Springs, Colonial Heights Middle or a new facility.
The county would continue to operate North as an 8-12 and make Ketron a K-7, closing Cedar Grove and Kingsley elementary schools when Ketron is completed and keeping Brookside as a school until its capacity is no longer needed.
“City and county governing bodies will explore and establish differentiated tax structures to accommodate the school overlay zone.”
•Proposal C: When the city annexes 50 percent of the homes in the UGB in the Indian Springs Elementary zone not now in the city, the city would assume operation of Indian Springs. However, students in the current Indian Springs zone would continue to attend school there throughout the annexation transitions.
Again, the city and county government would explore and establish a differential tax structure until Indian Springs became a city school.
•Proposal D: “As the city of Kingsport annexes an area, the city will provide city services except education. The county will continue to operate the schools — similar to Bluff City (which has no school system). This may require legislative action.”
•Proposal E: “Keep the 1986 agreement in place, addressing any ambiguity in the agreement regarding transportation, tuition and the 50 percent plus one designation.”
That proposal says the 50 percent plus one never is realized since annexed students tend to migrate to the city system.
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Enos Boyer it was swamp I played around there as a kid.I remember going down and watching the school being built hehe.They built that ground up several feet and it wasn't compacted properly before the foundations were put in.When it was being built everyone in Bloomingdale thought the county had lost their minds building it there.
Richard Brown: The way i talk is the way I do, that aside my GPA was 3.0 and i did not miss a day of school for 7 years so what i say and how i say it is none of your da** concern. My wife is a teacher. So you idiot, she would be doing the home schooling.
"Enos Boyer 2nd year the school was open there were cracks you could put yer hand into in the walls from where the building was settling. The contractors and school system were going at it because the fill on top of the swamp wasn't compacted properly, don't know what it's like now though."
That was 30 years ago, and when I was there in the 90's the school was in fine condition. It wasn't a swamp though, it was caves from what Mr. Barrett told our class while I was there.
"Enos, my stepbrother was in it. He said the walls are crumbling, carpet is ripped and gross. It is nothing like it once was."
To be fair, they got new carpet in the early 90's, and I'm sure at this point it's time to replace it.
In defense of the county weather policy--in the past, county school leaders asked the state for permission to form what another person called "weather districts." Apparently that isn't something that can be done, according to the state Dept of Ed. And, most posters need to realize that the county extends much farther than the city limits of Kingsport and the Eastman bubble. Sullivan County includes mountain terrain with sharp hair-pin curves and dark "hollers." I admit, that if there were such a thing as 3 hour delays, students probably could have attended school. But, would you want to risk the safety of a child, possibly yours, for dicey weather conditions? Oh but you are used to that because, according to T-N letter writers, KCS does that all of the time.
And by the way, if someone's kid was playing golf last Friday at 10 am, he was skipping school because the county was in and on a regular schedule.
Enos Boyer 2nd year the school was open there were cracks you could put yer hand into in the walls from where the building was settling. The contractors and school system were going at it because the fill on top of the swamp wasn't compacted properly, don't know what it's like now though.
Ive been wondering with all the areas they have already annexed into the city where the county even is anymore! I grew up in Rock Springs and went to South HS, they have annexed it...way down thru there and way out into Sullivan Gardens, exception of Colonial Heights I dont know who even goes to South anymore. Isnt DB the only city high school there is? If so, then DB must be getting extremely overcrowded. Might be a good idea to take one of the county schools and make it city to make room for students.
And the weather thing is ridiculous with kids always being out in the county, it seems if there is a cold wind and someone spits they call out school!
Juggernaut, based on your grammar and comments, homeschooling your kids would be a disservice to them.
wow again... just one school system, one super intedendent for all sullivan county, problem solved... No drama, Change can be good... and better for the kids, what we are here for as teachers...
i don't see why anyone would be against it other than PRIDE.
seriously, the school would be better funded and the teachers get paid more in the city. oh yeah, plus that little thing jay mentioned about county ALWAYS being out of school. i always went to city schools and figured my kids would until i moved to the county. i would love if the city took over their school.
I have been saying this for the past few years.
This would make at least 3 more local football games. More kids get to play in more sports. The money made for these games would be greater than it is today.
“We can’t do fixes in the North and South zone that are going to hurt (Sullivan) East and (Sullivan) Central, county BOE member Larry Harris said.
Right... the problem with education.
Just make schools good, and if others aren't, work on them. It's like no child gets behind, which turned into no child gets ahead.
The Juggernaut should move to Greene County. It is beautiful there and he would be safer there to build his compound, bury his bus, whatever...
People get all bent out of shape about schools and the big issue is will the kids going to them have Jobs when they get out or after college? Because that is not an option for most people that graduate from the area. I recently saw someone from the City of Kingsport complaining about traffic in another city, and how great it was to be home- it must be hard getting around in a town with great employment opportunities, and things to do... out traffic just gets worse to and from Johnson City. I'll never understand why people complain so much and stay here hating it, fighting it.
The one good highlight of this report to me is the likelihood that Colonial Heights Middle School will go away for something better. That place is a hole.
GOLF, REALLY GOLF good input on the city taking over county school!!!! its nice that your son play's a sport( if you can call it a sport) but anyway......
"That school is falling apart. The city won't fix it."
How so? Not being facetious, as a former student I'm actually curious as to it's condition. I haven't been there in well over a decade.
I'm not for the city taking over anything, But I do have to say my one of kids was playing golf last Friday when the city students were learning. Seems like a good way to get an education. Seeing as how the county is so large and they don't have the common sense to divide into weather districts. These kids have missed entirely to much school this year and it irresponsible. If its dangerous thats one thing but as I said my son was playing golf at 10:30 in the morning last Friday thats a hell of a snow day.
Why can't the GREAT CITY OF KINGSPORT stay the hell out of where it is not wanted? It has tried for years and years to take over county schools, It's BULLCRAP no one that i know wants the city anywhere our schools! I know someone is gonna say something about how good it would be if the city would get the schools and guess what " I DON'T CARE ". I have lived in the city and I do not won't anything else to do with it and if they do take the schools over they will not get any money from me, My children will be home schooled....
If they county and city everwanted to have metro school system . They would not has have the voter vote on it. They would only has have special rule pass in the by the state. They might as well do it. It would help the teacher and other employees.