I remember they were considering merging Deming with Bracken County one year and the students a Deming walked out at the school. News media from Lexington and Louisville were there but something happened between two districts it didn't happen.

Isn't Deming in Robertson County? I'm not saying you couldn't consolidate a school from one county with another county, but it would seem unusual.

Isn't Deming in Robertson County? I'm not saying you couldn't consolidate a school from one county with another county, but it would seem unusual.

 

Yes it is, but this almost did happen but I think when Bracken was wanting to build their new school, one side wanted it more inside of a county line then the other wanted it more on their side of the county line. So the tug of war ended the proposal.

Isn't Deming in Robertson County? I'm not saying you couldn't consolidate a school from one county with another county, but it would seem unusual.

 

 

I don't think it's ever been done before, but there were several news reports about Deming closing even though it didn't happen. Robertson County is example 1A of why there are too many counties in Kentucky.

I personally think that if Grant County and Williamstown combined they could put some pretty athletic teams together. Probably won't ever happen. But there are some very good athletes mixed together between those two schools

I hate any county or district losing a school, schools like Tollesboro, Maysville. All because the state thought it would save them some money.

Actually the trend these days is that smaller schools are better academically than larger schools. There was a day when the pundits thought big high schools were the way to go. What they learned was that kids felt lost in large high schools; parents stopped being involved as much because of the impersonal nature of a big school; there were too many layers of bureacracy (maybe only one principal, but five assistant principals, 10 assistants to the assistant principals); and the efficiencies that they hoped to gain just weren't realized. I love small unit leadership (now that's not a surprise to my fellow former Marines I'm sure) and believe the closer the decision maker is to the folks who have to implement and live with the decision the better. I believe its easier to find consensus and move forward with a group of 10 people than it is with a group of 100. Heck, if big was good, and biggest was best, the largest schools would be leading the state academically (which isn't the case) and the federal government system would be the model of efficiency, responsiveness and accessibility by the taxpayers (which not only isn't the case, its the exact opposite). Keep 'em small, keep 'em personal, keep 'em responsive to the needs of the teachers, parents and students. What you may lack in the way of resources, you more than make up in other ways. The clop, clop, clop you just heard was me stepping down off of my soap box.

I personally think that if Grant County and Williamstown combined they could put some pretty athletic teams together. Probably won't ever happen. But there are some very good athletes mixed together between those two schools

 

 

Probably so, and I don't mean to be busting your chops, but high schools are first about academics, not athletics.

Right, I won't argue that. But athletes at any school have to be making the grades before they can play sports. I was speaking of the athletes who were already making it academically. These two schools every year seem to have two or three good student athletes; if these two schools merged it would put 5 or 6 on one team. But I completely understand the academic issue. Very good point.

Probably so, and I don't mean to be busting your chops, but high schools are first about academics, not athletics.

 

clop, clop, clop !

Actually the trend these days is that smaller schools are better academically than larger schools. There was a day when the pundits thought big high schools were the way to go. What they learned was that kids felt lost in large high schools; parents stopped being involved as much because of the impersonal nature of a big school; there were too many layers of bureacracy (maybe only one principal, but five assistant principals, 10 assistants to the assistant principals); and the efficiencies that they hoped to gain just weren't realized. I love small unit leadership (now that's not a surprise to my fellow former Marines I'm sure) and believe the closer the decision maker is to the folks who have to implement and live with the decision the better. I believe its easier to find consensus and move forward with a group of 10 people than it is with a group of 100. Heck, if big was good, and biggest was best, the largest schools would be leading the state academically (which isn't the case) and the federal government system would be the model of efficiency, responsiveness and accessibility by the taxpayers (which not only isn't the case, its the exact opposite). Keep 'em small, keep 'em personal, keep 'em responsive to the needs of the teachers, parents and students. What you may lack in the way of resources, you more than make up in other ways. The clop, clop, clop you just heard was me stepping down off of my soap box.

Well said and my thoughts exactly! :thumb:

I don't think it's ever been done before, but there were several news reports about Deming closing even though it didn't happen. Robertson County is example 1A of why there are too many counties in Kentucky.

Exactly. When I was in college in the '70s at EKU, we did some research in one of my geography classes on this sunject. The professor was a Dr. Quillen, and he felt that Kentucky should slowly begin consolidating their counties. Kentucky has 120 counties, only Texas and Georgia has more. Dr. Quillen believed a number somewhere in the seventies would be more logical. But old fashion politics will probably never allow it to happen.

Heck, if big was good, and biggest was best, the largest schools would be leading the state academically (which isn't the case).

 

 

 

Five of the state's top six scores for high schools last year were recorded by Manual, Male, Highlands, North Oldham and Oldham County (Sept. 21, 2005 Herald-Leader). Those are all big schools.

 

Buckhorn, Providence and Lynn Camp were in the bottom 10. Those are all small schools.

Five of the state's top six scores for high schools last year were recorded by Manual, Male, Highlands, North Oldham and Oldham County (Sept. 21, 2005 Herald-Leader). Those are all big schools.

 

Buckhorn, Providence and Lynn Camp were in the bottom 10. Those are all small schools.

 

 

Manual really shouldn't count because of its rather unique nature. I don't consider Highlands to be a big school. We're actually one of the smallest AAA schools. I'm sure if I wanted to take the time, I could find the big schools on the list that do poorly and the small schools that do well (I don't even need to look to know that Beechwood is one of the latter). However, I can't argue that there may not be the need for some schools to consolidate. But I do believe that the small size of the schools in question in and of itself should not be the determining factor. Particularly if a "turn around" situation is necessary. Its a lot easier to correct the course of a small boat than it is a large yacht. Do all big schools stink? Of course not. Are all small schools superior? Again, of course not. But I continue to stand by my original premise.

Five of the state's top six scores for high schools last year were recorded by Manual, Male, Highlands, North Oldham and Oldham County (Sept. 21, 2005 Herald-Leader). Those are all big schools.

 

Buckhorn, Providence and Lynn Camp were in the bottom 10. Those are all small schools.

I suspect those scores have more to do with the nature of the schools, their location and demographics more than the size of the school.

Manual really shouldn't count because of its rather unique nature. I don't consider Highlands to be a big school. We're actually one of the smallest AAA schools. I'm sure if I wanted to take the time, I could find the big schools on the list that do poorly and the small schools that do well (I don't even need to look to know that Beechwood is one of the latter). However, I can't argue that there may not be the need for some schools to consolidate. But I do believe that the small size of the schools in question in and of itself should not be the determining factor. Particularly if a "turn around" situation is necessary. Its a lot easier to correct the course of a small boat than it is a large yacht. Do all big schools stink? Of course not. Are all small schools superior? Again, of course not. But I continue to stand by my original premise.

 

 

 

You said big schools weren't leading the state academically and I proved otherwise. I don't think I listed Dunbar, which is usually in the top 10. There are some other 2A type schools in the bottom 10 list.

 

The fact that Highlands is a 3A school puts it in the top half of all football schools. When you consider there are 70 or so non-football schools, which are all smaller than Highlands most likely, Highlands is probably in the top third of schools size-wise in the state.