Sullivan BOE votes to cut number of high schools

BLOUNTVILLE — One of former Sullivan County Director of Schools Jubal Yennie's lasting legacies may be the system's move from four high schools to two.And another closely related legacy may be the transfer of the current Sullivan North High and Middle schools building to Kingsport City Schools for use as a city middle school."We can't keep living in the past," BOE member Randall Jones said Monday. "We've got to move to the future or at least the present."Vice Chairman Jack Bales of Sullivan Gardens said the system simply can't offer the same range of programs at the 500-student North High as it does in other high schools.The Board of Education Monday night voted 4-2 with one absent to recommend the adoption of a plan to close Sullivan North, South and Central high schools as early as 2019 after building a new 1,700-student high school with, among other things, state-of-the-art career technical education offerings."I think we're through kicking the can. I think it's time to move forward," BOE Chairman Dan Wells of Lynn Garden said.Sullivan East High, on which the system is about to spend more than $1.2 million in roof repairs, would undergo "complete renovations" and remain open until 2028, at which time a new school would be built.It was the same plan Yennie — who in June left for a school system in Wyoming — recommended to the school board in May, closely reflecting the earlier DeJong-Richter recommendation from consultant Tracy Richter.The vote also adopted the Yennie timeline, although members said the plan and timeline would evolve over time.As for North, the timeline calls for the Sullivan County Commission and the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen next month to discuss the possible transfer of North to the city, which under a separate but parallel facilities study would become a city middle school after it ceases being a county school in the spring of 2019.Bloomingdale school board member Todd Broughton, a staunch critic of closing North, said the proposal was "scenario 3 with lipstick on it."He was referring to a proposal floated a few years ago that drew such public outcry it became the genesis of the county and eventually city facilities studies.Initial moves in the plan would be the construction of the new high school and the building of a new middle school in the Sullivan East High zone.All told, the plan could ultimately could cost upwards of $100 million — not counting Kingsport's and Bristol's shares — including $64 million for the first new county high school alone, although it is more of a broad plan for a school system that has been losing enrollment and saddled with the maintenance, heating and cooling of underutilized buildings.Wells, Bales of Sullivan Gardens and members Jerry Greene of Bristol and Jones of Indian Springs voted for the plan, while Broughton and Michael Hughes of Hickory Tree voted against it. Betty Combs of Bluff City was absent.However, Greene called for the construction of two new high schools at once to bring equity countywide, although that would make the upfront costs much higher. He said Wise County, Va., went from six to three high schools and Dickenson County, Va., has only one high school, although Broughton said neighboring Scott County, Va., has about 1,000 high schoolers spread among three schools."Do both up front," Greene said. "Be equal."Jones said the two high school system would be an ideal fit if countywide consolidation of schools ever occurred, with two county schools of about 1,700 each, Kingsport's Dobyns-Bennett High at about 2,200 and Tennessee High in Bristol at roughly 1,200.However, all board members appeared to be in agreement that one component of the plan — spending $8 million to convert Ketron Elementary to a K-8 school — was flawed.However, Hughes and Broughton also brought up the question of where North High zone students would attend middle school without a Ketron K-8.Jones said it could be South Middle, a retooled South High building, or even the old North if the city takes it over and an agreement is reached for tuition-free city education for those county students."They're not going to ride the transportation that far," Broughton said of students in far-flung areas of the county.Wells said the two high school model was "resonating," although Broughton and Hughes staunchly spoke out for looking at other options.The new comprehensive high school, on a yet-to-be-announced site, would take students from North, South and at least part of Central, with other Central students possibly going to East.It would have a CTE focus, which Broughton said could be done with existing schools through virtual and online classes. However, Bo Shadden, who oversees CTE, said that efforts to offer online or virtual CTE classes are difficult because of lab-based, student-centered project-based learning and differentiated instruction that are hallmarks of CTE.Newly appointed Director of Schools Evelyn Rafalowski said it also is difficult to coordinate the schedules at four high schools for effective online offerings.Bales said the system simply has too much excess building capacity and is hamstrung in increasing teacher pay, although Broughton said the system should work with what it has instead of closing functional schools and building new ones.For example, Broughton said the cost of the county giving up North and the city taking it — at a possible cost of $20 million or up not counting renovation, may not be worth it for either system.