I am so incredibly sick and tired of reading about this subject. Alcoa has always accepted tuition students: when we won state championships in basketball and when we had losing seasons. As long as there has been an Alcoa High School (and Maryville High School), there have been tuition students. The only reason people are in such an uproar now (besides AHS & MHS being dominant in football) is that the privates have started playing with the publics and are whining about not being able to beat us in football. You don't hear us whining about golf, soccer, and tennis. That is definitely where the privates have the advantage, because to play those sports and to be good in them, you do have to "pay to play" through private lessons, course fees, and club teams.
Think about it.