Roane County School System Consolidation

[Guest KKV]

Wait a minute,didnt Roane County bail out Rockwood a few years ago and assume their debt,why not Harriman now?

[OS91]

Oak Ridge and Oliver Springs residents are unified and resdidents have same mentality concerning school consolidation. Residents of OS have more of an mentality of OR and Clinton. Kids at OSHS interat more with kids from OS and CLinton.

[swamp]

That shouldn't give Oak Hills the right to dictate to Kingston, Rockwood, and Midway that their schools should be consolidated. Kingston and Midway interact a lot with each other, but I'd say Rockwood kids are just as likely to interact with kids from Cumberland Co. and Rhea Co. as they are from Kingston or Midway....

 

Maybe instead of trying to get money from Anderson County for the Norwood students, we could just convince AC to take in OSHS...

 

(I'm not really in favor of that, but it makes as much sense as going the opposite direction)

[KevB1990]

Grainger County spent over $9-million to add classrooms to all of its county schools, elementary, middle and high.

 

Almost every school with the exception of Washburn is running out of space...again.

 

Consolidation would be a great answer for Grainger County. One High School (Grainger County High) would have around 950-1000 enrolled, all of the top teachers in the county and improved facilities. There's just one problem. Washburn has had a long-stabding grudge against everyone south of Clinch Mountain because they have always felt passed over.

 

I hope that will die out with the new century here.

 

Lots of possibilities for Grainger County as well as many other counties. I know Claiborne County is building two new high schools and that will allow two schools (Forge Ridge and Powell Valley) to combine near Harrogate.

 

BTW, I might be mistaken, but didn't Morgan County get in too deep building all new schools about 15-20 years ago?

[OS91]

The issue isnt Oliver Springs and its students as the economic burden, but the declining enrollments of rockwood, and the the possibility of a huge fiscal burden of harriman city schools wanting to incorporate into the Roane County from a city school system.

 

Harriman will obviously want students from Oliver Springs zone once this happens to make for a larger High School. OS will not have any of that. For over 7 decades ( 70 years) OS has the backing and support off all in area. Oliver Springs watched as its enrollment went under 400 in 1988, but just last year had an enrolment over 500. harriman will not gain at the expense of OS. OSHS has become a model high school and its community sprirt and enthusiasuim is second to none with support. OS looks around at its neghbors Harriman, Rockwood, Scott County, Kingston, Lenior City, Loudon, who just 15 years ago outnumbered in enrollment and wealth and could only compete in girls basketball at that time with these schools and acadmeically were inferior. however, because of a man by the Name of Mr. hacker who took over as principal in 1992 OSHS took a trun for the better. Without question OS has become a leader in the area in academics and athletics with an attitude in players and fans that could have not been imagined 15 years ago. Pakced stands, concered parents, college scholarships- in academics and athletics.

 

Why am I typing this? To see other schools fall from their pedestals and then want to tear at other schools success is applaing and ludicrous. yes, norwood ( anderson county) counts for 35 percent of OS enrollment. However, Oak Ridge has 300 kids that live in Roane Countythat attned ORHS. In case you forgot, OR resients in Roane COunty pay property tax. Knowing that Oak ridge and OS have a special relatioinship - you will always see cooperation from the two county commisoners in area who work.

 

OS will never be consolidated. It's One of Roane Counites stars, so other schools need to fix it financial, declining enrollment, and image problems just as OS did 11 years ago.

[OS91]

Also, I am certain other kids in county steer toward other areas Cumberland County, Rhea County.

 

OS has benifeted from it closeness of being in knoxville in 15-20 minutes on pellisippi Parkway.

 

Unlike other roane towns, OS considered knoxville metro area in the last census.

[swamp]

I never said I wanted OS to consolidate. What I'm saying is that OS *residents* tend to support consolidation - for everybody else. I can be in Knox Co. in 15 mins from my house in Kingston via I-40, Knoxville metro or not.

 

Rockwood doesn't want it, Kingston doesn't want it, Midway for darn sure doesn't want it, so why should OS dictate it to the other 3 (maybe soon to be 4) schools?

 

I want to know when this came back up...

[OS91]

With Harriman's possible inception into Roane County school system, there is a real concern that Harriman will want to have school renovated and revamped with an influx of surronding areas to boost enrollment and morale. I too was 18 when the vote in 1991 was made to consolidate schools. That vote was made concerning present day Rockwood, Kingston, Midway, and OS. Without question, OS has flourished since new ahtletic facilities and a revamped and remodeled school under the new administration. Swamp, I am certian you remember in 91 that OS football and athletic program was doormat and considered inferior to Rockwood, Harriman, and Kingston. With vision, that tables have turned drastically. OS is known throughout the area and state for fan support and its vision. Packed crowds in all athletics, girls and boys basketball teams attending being highly succesful in national tournaments. OS has become highly visable. Swamp, in 1991 did you ever think you would see OS scheduling teams like Brentwood Academy, playing at a top 5 team in Kentucky, playing in Florida tournies.

The girls playing in the Disney tourney in Orlando this past year.

 

I do believe harriman has a plan and that would be to possibly take other students from surronding areas to boost enrollment. My gut feeling is from Kingston and OS would lose. Knowing that Kingston wants enrollment to remain or increase, one owuld imagine that Sugur Grove valley areas and the Harriman Highway area of OS's school district would be the target of possibly increased enrollment to Kingston or harriman to establish harriman at the expense of OS.

 

I think that Harriman needs to look elsewhere and booster its economy by attracting business and securing its residents and students.

 

This is OS's concern that becuase of the difficulties of Harrimans problems other schools will have to adjust. Its highly unlikely that Kingston will suffer, Highly unlikely that Rockwood will suffer, so who is left? Oliver Springs and its zoning.

 

OS will not adhere to any rezoning for Harrimans gain.

 

Its that simple. Look eslewhere.

[swamp]

OS91, you've just strengthened my point. You don't want to consolidate or redraw districts for Harriman's (perceived) gain. Nobody supporting the other three county schools do either. I knew a couple of people from Sugar Grove Valley/Dyllis that went to Kingston when I did, but for the most part, folks in that area send kids to OS, and that's fine by me....

 

To answer your question, no I never thought OS would be where it is today... I also never thought I'd see OS have be the 2nd largest (by enrollment) in Roane County. The only area where I can see Harriman really wanting to boost enrollment that would hurt OS is Big Emory. I can, however, see them wanting to have all kids from Midtown and Emory Heights (both heavy feeders for Kingston).

 

I don't think that Harriman residents will vote for the change, to be honest. I think this change may come when Harriman City council decides to just pass the law instead of putting it to a referendum.

 

There are things in the current zones that make no sense at all, but I think everything that has been done for the past 11 years was based on the enrollment conditions that currently exist... so I can't see any major changes to school zones.

[goosevol]

I don't know Swamp. If I was from Harriman I would definitely vote to join the county and all the signs I see in town are to do just that.

[OS91]

Harriman will enter Roane County School system. I believe the city residents will vote that way and the council will abide or even go ahead with out a refferendum. Either way, I believe it a certain unstoppable act. However, I think zoning boundries should remain intact. State Laws require Roane County to allow Harriman to join county schools, however zoning is a different story. You reap what you sow, and now Harriman will do just that. Autonomy wasnt the answer.

[swamp]

I guess we'll see how the vote goes next week. The support for dissolving Harriman City schools was supposed to have been there the last time this vote came up... but the referendum failed.

 

I guess we'll just have to wait and see...