Another classic case of Kentucky "Oh my Goooddddddd!!!!! Our school is over 2,000 people!!! How are our children going to get a top notch education?!?! Quick...let's build another school!".

 

I don't get it. It amazes me how all of these other states who do well academically and athletically have schools the size of Scott County all over the place as the norm seem to flourish, but here in Kentucky....it's cause for flipping out.

 

Living in Gwinnett County...which has 18 Public County High Schools... all around 1500+ students.. and is considered one of the best public school systems in the entire country... makes me chuckle at this entire thread.

 

"They are trying to consolidate our schools!!!!!! My babies will have to commute 30 minutes each day!" Meanwhile in Metro Atlanta I know people who commute an hour to hour and a half each day due to traffic to make sure their kids get the best education. Meanwhie in Wyoming and Montana the nearest school may be 50 miles away.

 

What I have found in Kentucky is people simply don't like change and also relish the role of "Big Fish in a Small Pond"

170 here. Was in the Marines with a guys who's class was 8 and he was a twin.

170 here. Was in the Marines with a guys who's class was 8 and he was a twin.

 

Winner, winner Chicken Dinner!!!

Living in Gwinnett County...which has 18 Public County High Schools... all around 1500+ students.. and is considered one of the best public school systems in the entire country... makes me chuckle at this entire thread.

 

"They are trying to consolidate our schools!!!!!! My babies will have to commute 30 minutes each day!" Meanwhile in Metro Atlanta I know people who commute an hour to hour and a half each day due to traffic to make sure their kids get the best education. Meanwhie in Wyoming and Montana the nearest school may be 50 miles away.

 

What I have found in Kentucky is people simply don't like change and also relish the role of "Big Fish in a Small Pond"

 

Big time. It's why Ky has a ridiculous 120 counties when there should be half that.

Living in Gwinnett County...which has 18 Public County High Schools... all around 1500+ students.. and is considered one of the best public school systems in the entire country... makes me chuckle at this entire thread.

 

"They are trying to consolidate our schools!!!!!! My babies will have to commute 30 minutes each day!" Meanwhile in Metro Atlanta I know people who commute an hour to hour and a half each day due to traffic to make sure their kids get the best education. Meanwhie in Wyoming and Montana the nearest school may be 50 miles away.

 

What I have found in Kentucky is people simply don't like change and also relish the role of "Big Fish in a Small Pond"

 

lol Awesome.

Big time. It's why Ky has a ridiculous 120 counties when there should be half that.

 

Half the counties. Half the classes in football (well, 2/3).

 

As I said in another thread...people want to talk about all of the blah, blah..feel good reasons about things it would take to make football better in our state; imagine if Warren/Simpson Counties were one and only had 3 high schools instead of the 6 b/t them (BG, Warren East, Warren Central as one....FS, South Warren and Greenwood as one).

 

...or closer to home for you, imagine if Bardstown and Nelson County were one. Geeeez! Granted, they are two different school districts, but you understand what I mean.

See Collins High School and Shelby County High School. Also, see Warren Central/Greenwood/South Warren and Oldham, North Oldham, South Oldham. Each is successful now and then in a particular sport.

 

The recent Nelson County split into making Thomas Nelson is the only time I've seen a (once) big school benefit in regards to football (Nelson County HS).

 

Fact is, before Thomas Nelson, when Nelson County was 6A...they were 6A in numbers only as far as boys enrollment. Many of the kids from the areas that now make up a good amount of Thomas Nelson didn't give them anything as far as football (transportation, athletes, etc).

I haven't read any of the thread, but this reminds me of Nelson County in the late 90's and Boone County in prior years. Scott County broke through in 2013 with numbers, athletes and great coaching. Everyone argues that the privates have an advantage in football based on the numbers, but the public schools divide their resources into multiple schools with fewer resources. We'll have to play the wait and see game but history says this isn't a good move for athletic success. Imagine if Trinity, Saint X and other schools divided their talent, coaching and resources in a similar manner. This is why the public versus private debate is a moot point. The privates' and other perennial powers (BG, Boyle, Highlands, etc.) don't divide. They build and have alumni buy-in. I HATE this for KY football (and other sports). Without the divide concept, Boone County, Scott County, Nelson County (include other schools) would be able to contend with the traditional power programs. If you want to argue this point, reference the state champions from the early 1980's until the late 1990's as proof. Regarding 4A/6A, Trinity and Saint X didn't dominate until other school systems started to divide their resources (funds, alumni support, coaching staff, facilities, etc.). On the other hand, I can't comment on the academic success of the schools districts that chose to divide their resources. After all, these young men are Student-Athletes. It's a tough call...

Half the counties. Half the classes in football (well, 2/3).

 

As I said in another thread...people want to talk about all of the blah, blah..feel good reasons about things it would take to make football better in our state; imagine if Warren/Simpson Counties were one and only had 3 high schools instead of the 6 b/t them (BG, Warren East, Warren Central as one....FS, South Warren and Greenwood as one).

 

...or closer to home for you, imagine if Bardstown and Nelson County were one. Geeeez! Granted, they are two different school districts, but you understand what I mean.

 

Imagine what it would be like to add LaRue Co., Washington Co. and Marion Co. into that mix. If I'm not mistaken, all three were originally part of Nelson Co.

I graduated with a whopping 74 classmates.

I graduated with class of 44, and it was the only high school in the county.

Lets look at the positives. A lot more kids will now be playing sports which helps keep kids out of trouble (there will be a lot more kids playing sports between the two schools than if it were just one big school), big possibility of a new rivalry being born, and with the smaller class sizes kids might get to know their fellow students a little bit better.

 

I do not live in Scott County so I do not know, but it sounds like there are a decent amount of people calling for a new high school. So a good move by the school district to do what they think is best for everyone. If athletic power is the only draw back to a new school, then building a new school is probably the right move.

More schools equal more opportunity for students.

 

McCracken County, with their consolidation takes away a lot of opportunities for students. I do realize that they can offer more of a variety as well. This is just not in sports but in other things as well.

Now there is only 1 FFA president instead of 3. That goes with all officers of all clubs. In sports a huge number of participants are left out because of the consolidation.

Another classic case of Kentucky "Oh my Goooddddddd!!!!! Our school is over 2,000 people!!! How are our children going to get a top notch education?!?! Quick...let's build another school!".

 

I don't get it. It amazes me how all of these other states who do well academically and athletically have schools the size of Scott County all over the place as the norm seem to flourish, but here in Kentucky....it's cause for flipping out.

 

Biggest issue with Kentucky schools is that they were not designed to hold 3000-4000 students the way schools are in other parts of the country.

 

I can remember before Southwestern opened Pulaski County High School had rented trailers lined up and classes being taught in trailers in the parking lot. I think there were even some classes that used the bleachers in the gym. I don't think anyone would call those ideal learning situations.

 

Now when new schools are being built and designed some of the forward thinking are building them with expansion plans ready to go should the school need to expand. But many school systems don't have the budget to over build for added capacity and have to build a school that meets their current needs not one that will exceed their future needs.

Biggest issue with Kentucky schools is that they were not designed to hold 3000-4000 students the way schools are in other parts of the country.

 

I can remember before Southwestern opened Pulaski County High School had rented trailers lined up and classes being taught in trailers in the parking lot. I think there were even some classes that used the bleachers in the gym. I don't think anyone would call those ideal learning situations.

 

Now when new schools are being built and designed some of the forward thinking are building them with expansion plans ready to go should the school need to expand. But many school systems don't have the budget to over build for added capacity and have to build a school that meets their current needs not one that will exceed their future needs.

 

Robertson County was built to replace Deming.

Washington County is building a brand new high school to replace the current Washington County High instead of opening two separate ones.

 

Nelson County, which was big but not huge, built a second school in the district (Thomas Nelson).

 

Meanwhile, the Muhlenbergs merge, schools near East Ridge merge, schools in Harlans merge and of course, the three schools in Paducah merge to form McCracken College/University. Just kidding!

 

More schools provide more opportunities (at least in athletics). More jobs (for teachers, staff). Can also be pricy (paying for two staffs instead of one) and might not offer some stuff (harder to justify AP-Italian at a 2-A school than 6-A school, when you would have a broader pool of students willing to take it).

 

So apparently, there's no right or wrong among replacing, merging or splitting.

Scott County is experiencing a lot of growth and they probably do not anticipate it to slow down with in the next few years and enrollment within Scott County High school was going to increase every year which explains the split. The exact same thing goes for the Boone County Schools. Robertson and Washington County have experience almost no growth over the past 30 years so splitting high schools would make zero sense. Harlan County has been experiencing population loss and McCracken County's population remains fairly stagnant. Scott County probably figured splitting schools sooner rather than later is best. When a county is growing a lot, a school district can either keep adding onto the existing school or add an additional school. Adding an additional school seems to be the right call in this particular situation.