Roane County School System Consolidation

[OS91]

Some ideas on school configuration in Roane County. With Harriman possibly leaving its status as a school system in its self and turning itself over to Roane County School System, this is without queston going to cause consolidation in Roane County. Political Upheavels within communitites of Kingston, Rockwood, Harriman, Oliver Springs, and Midway communities.

 

With Harriman declining enrollment in the schools and city itself becasue of economic problems from the layoofs in area, as well as Rockwood these two schools have seen an enrollment that once was close to 650 for Harriman and 550 for Rockwood. Now both schools hover around 400 kids.

 

With this being said, Harriman is expecting the Roane County taxpayers to bail them out of the financial mess they are currently in by saving their High school and possibly feeding them with kids from the Roane County high school or Oliver Springs school district to increase enrollement. To me, I think this is appalling. Harriman has dug its grave its currently in.

 

If Roane County Schoosl accept harriman, I believe a county wide school systems should be as follow.

 

Roane Conty High School

Consisting of Midway and Current RCHS located in Roane County at Kingston with an enrollment of 1000.

 

A new school midway between Rockwood and Harriman with

an enrollment of 850. With harriman and and Rockwood's declinging populaiton and enrollment this would boost the area and academics.

 

Roane County should seeks finacial seek finacial assitance from Andern County for all the Norwood Anderson County students Oliver Springs gets every year. Futhermore, all Norwood kids should attend OS and Anderson County/Clinton is well aware of the money they are making off the OS Anderson County taxpayers that send their kids to Oliver Springs. Some of this money needs to go toward Oliver Springs and actually Roane County. If all Norwood kids attended, OS would have an enrolment of 750-800 or so. IF somehow, just 4 miles away in coalfield these kids were consolidated, then an enrollment of over 1000 kids making a TRI COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.

 

Just some ideas to throw out there? any other suggestions?

[goosevol]

I can see where Norwood students need to go to OS because that's where they're from, but Coalfield is a city in Morgan County and they will never combine with OS. Heck they're adding to the school right now. Maybe one day they'll combine with Oakdale and stay a Class A school or maybe all Morgan County schools will combine for a Class AAA school.

[Edited by goosevol on 7/21/02 6:59P]

[swamp]

OS 91, it ain't gonna happen. School consolidation has already been *soundly* defeated once, and would be again.

How is it that every consolidation plan ever proposed keeps Oliver Springs as Oliver Springs, but the other schools are expected to combine?

 

A more logical step would be to keep the community schools and re-draw the districts. Let's not forget that the county has spent quite a bit of money building new elementary schools and renovating the existing high schools.

 

As for Harriman, I think that if Harriman City voters vote to turn Harriman City Schools over to the County, the County should, as soon as possible, have a vote to overturn it. Or, at a minimum, the county should do everything possible to make Harriman pay a large share of Harriman City Schools' liabilities.

[swamp]

Hey, Goose, I'd be surprised to see any Morgan county consolidation, because its terrain is so rough. It's not a pleasant drive from any school to any other, with the possible exception of Coalfield to Wartburg, unless there's some back roads I don't know about!

[swamp]

OS 91, if you get cable channel 12, watch a Harriman City council meeting sometime. It's funnier than comedy central.

 

If Harriman is in such financial woe, why have they annexed into Midtown?

[goosevol]

I know they're not going to consolidate in Morgan County. Last year they approved $14,000,000.00 to add classrooms to the current schools. I just remember years ago they had two consolidation plans that were shot down. One was to combine all 4 schools into 1 high school and keep the existing schools as elementary. The second plan was to combine Coalfield/Oakdale into one school and Wartburg/Sunbright into another.

[swamp]

Consolidation is very unpopular in Roane County with the exception of Oliver Springs, and that's because most plans for said consolidation keep OS open.

[jacketsfan13]

My words exactly swamp. Why is it that O.S. is always left alone? I agree that harriman should foot a major part of the bill. They have gotten themselves into this situation. I feel that the entire county should be allowed to vote, not just Harriman. Harriman would be crazy to vote no.

[swamp]

As crazy as it sounds, Harriman has defeated this measure more than once recently. It will probably be like their liquor vote: they will keep putting it on the ballot until the result changes!

 

To be honest, this is the first I had heard of school consolidation in 10+ years. What about you TigersFan?

 

KEEP THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS!

[swamp]

Oh, TigersFan, let's not forget that this is also popular in Oak Hills, where the children go to Oak Ridge...

[jacketsfan13]

The last time I can recall this coming up was around the early 90's. I don't think it could work. Too much bad blood between the schools.

[swamp]

I remember the vote was in 1991. My eighteenth birthday was during the 30-day window when voter registration was closed, but before the actual election. I remember because I missed the vote. I found out later that I could have registered before my birthday as long as I was 18 on election day...

 

Let's just keep a close eye on these county commission and school board elections!