On 9/6/2023 at 6:19 PM, barrel said:

The thing is I’m not sure that is legal. 

It is illegal.  It would impossible to have just a “special education school”.  Students’ IEPs give specific time spent in the general education classroom.  Most students have an IEP for things like ADHD, reading, and math.  If the school is just for “special education”, a student would be deprived of their time required by their IEP (and by law to be in their least restrictive environment) to be in a general education setting.  

Every student is entitled to a “free and appropriate public education”.  A special education school would simply not be able to provide the same opportunities to all students   The solution would be what JCPS did.  They redrew their boundaries to spread out the populations of low socioeconomic students into multiple schools so they aren’t concentrated into just one school   

As a teacher it is asinine to think a solution is to just send all the students receiving special education services to one school.  Special education shouldn’t be separate education.  Not even mention the stigma that would be associated with going to the “special ed” school. 

1 hour ago, futurecoach said:

Yes, this is a Boone County Schools specific thread. However, it is now something that has been brought up a few different times on here in different threads in regards to Boone High School. If this was the first time I probably wouldn’t have replied. However, it’s been a topic on here a few times now this year in multiple threads. Which is why I ask why all the worry about Boone, and almost acting like they are the only school that has had to deal with this. 
 

It definitely can present different challenges than some other schools have to deal with. I have coached and taught in schools with similar populations and even more low income families than them. So I know I definitely understand the challenges that come with it. However, some seem to act like they are the only ones that have had to deal with such issues based of some of the comments over the last year in various threads by people on here and elsewhere. 

Apples and Oranges.  BCHS is a County school system and a districted County system at that, which has four high schools.  Please tell me you agree that in a county system with multiple high schools it’s not fair to direct 90% of your free and reduced lunch kids to one school when the other three are nowhere near that.  All of the examples you give are independent districts with one high school.  Those independent districts cannot change their boundaries.  If you live there you go there.  BCHS’ problems are totally self inflicted.  

I stated earlier I had 3 cousins rhat went to Boone Co (late 80s, early 90s) and lived in Florence in a 1950s subdivision, lots of ranch houses. Guess where their kids didn’t go in the 2000s and 2010s? Boone Co. they went to Cooper, Conner and St Henry even. Suburban sprawl made that decision easy 

23 minutes ago, James Graham said:

Apples and Oranges.  BCHS is a County school system and a districted County system at that, which has four high schools.  Please tell me you agree that in a county system with multiple high schools it’s not fair to direct 90% of your free and reduced lunch kids to one school when the other three are nowhere near that.  All of the examples you give are independent districts with one high school.  Those independent districts cannot change their boundaries.  If you live there you go there.  BCHS’ problems are totally self inflicted.  

Definitely a fair comparison. Yeah there are multiple high schools in Boone County, and majority of the kids have to go to the school that is usually closest to where they live. So that is those boundaries just like those independent schools have certain boundaries where most of those kids come from. 

Now does it suck that the Boone County area is basically land locked in that Florence area and not much room to expand, absolutely. However, that situation is no different  and those independent schools have to work with what they got and can’t be looking for excuses.  Changing the boundaries isn’t going to change much for Boone. Unless you are suggest making kids that live say in Union or Hebron go to Boone to make it more equal? Which would just be dumb IMO. Schools can and have been successful with similar type of populations. Redistricting wouldn’t change much, because most of the area that is lower income is still by Boone and would be at Boone still. 
 

Let’s just stop acting like Boone has it so bad and they have no chance to ever compete again because of it. Boone right now is at 73% free and reduced. GRC similar type of population and free reduced lunch is 77% and is very successful. Newport, Holmes are at 100%. Lloyd is at 95% and just made state semi’s last year and one of the top 3A teams this year. Bardstown 76% free reduced and was in state title game last year. Bowling green over 70% and one of top programs in state. There are even more examples too. 
 

As I said I definitely get it about it being more challenging and more obstacles to overcome than other schools. I definitely won’t argue against that, because there is more challenges. However, let’s not also use that as an excuse and say that it can’t and won’t get better and it’s a doom and gloom situation like some seem to be saying. 

37 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

Definitely a fair comparison. Yeah there are multiple high schools in Boone County, and majority of the kids have to go to the school that is usually closest to where they live. So that is those boundaries just like those independent schools have certain boundaries where most of those kids come from. 

Now does it suck that the Boone County area is basically land locked in that Florence area and not much room to expand, absolutely. However, that situation is no different  and those independent schools have to work with what they got and can’t be looking for excuses.  Changing the boundaries isn’t going to change much for Boone. Unless you are suggest making kids that live say in Union or Hebron go to Boone to make it more equal? Which would just be dumb IMO. Schools can and have been successful with similar type of populations. Redistricting wouldn’t change much, because most of the area that is lower income is still by Boone and would be at Boone still. 
 

Let’s just stop acting like Boone has it so bad and they have no chance to ever compete again because of it. Boone right now is at 73% free and reduced. GRC similar type of population and free reduced lunch is 77% and is very successful. Newport, Holmes are at 100%. Lloyd is at 95% and just made state semi’s last year and one of the top 3A teams this year. Bardstown 76% free reduced and was in state title game last year. Bowling green over 70% and one of top programs in state. There are even more examples too. 
 

As I said I definitely get it about it being more challenging and more obstacles to overcome than other schools. I definitely won’t argue against that, because there is more challenges. However, let’s not also use that as an excuse and say that it can’t and won’t get better and it’s a doom and gloom situation like some seem to be saying. 

I think I should add that for me personally I think Boone has been making strides in football. Coach does a great job getting players out, their non district gives them a chance to build confidence. Then they have come close to getting a district win recently. Which I think this year they will get at least one district win and be competitive in another. So I do think they have made strides. That’s why I hate hearing people with all these excuses and acting like it’s impossible. Yes it is hard work and takes a lot of time to build it, but you can be successful still just like other schools have been with similar demographics. 
 

I know for me I am biased in this situation because I did teach and coach at an inner city school for many years. If we allowed all those built in excuses to play a role, we would have never turned things around to make it one of the most successful schools in NKY and the state despite the demographics. I know I never worked as hard in life as I did during my years down there, because it takes extremely hard work to be successful and many challenges along the way. However, it can be done as long as you don’t buy in to the built in excuses that come with it. 

On 9/6/2023 at 3:05 PM, ChiefSmoke said:

On our podcast this week, we asked Coach Engler.... 

"The Split up of High Schools in Boone County. Was that good for kids? Was that good for KY HS Football?"

Coach Engler had a good answer. Be sure to listen.... Thursday, 9/7, 7:30 pm

The Coaches Office: Behind the Scenes of HS Football w/ Chuck Smith & David Buchanan 

 

Would be curious to hear @theguru's answer to these two questions. There is a great northern KY football following on BGPreps. Would love to see what those fans think as well... especially the old timers!

I think Engler gave a great answer and that yes the split up was good for the kids. As he said with the split up, now a lot more kids are actually getting to play football than would have if there wasn’t as many schools. 
 

 

On 9/6/2023 at 6:17 PM, barrel said:

What is a special education school?

Non existent. Inclusion is very much a part of today's education. The federal lawsuit would bankrupt the district lol.

On 9/6/2023 at 4:44 PM, theguru said:

Everyone should have school choice period. 

Do you mean in their home district or choice for ANY district??

1 minute ago, 9068 said:

Do you mean in their home district or choice for ANY district??

Any, all, every...

I believe everyone in KY does have free choice to attend any high school they want. It is only if a school district decides on their own to limit choice that a student can't go to any school they want. Even in that situation, if a student in Boone County wants to go to Simon Kenton, Dixie, or Lloyd, etc  I think they could do that, couldn't they? 

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

I believe everyone in KY does have free choice to attend any high school they want. It is only if a school district decides on their own to limit choice that a student can't go to any school they want. Even in that situation, if a student in Boone County wants to go to Simon Kenton, Dixie, or Lloyd, etc  I think they could do that, couldn't they? 

If a district releases the money for the student. I hear people say all the time that they move to Ft.Thomas or Beechwood "for the education". If people do not move in to a district and pay taxes directly (owner) or indirectly (renter) that's a heckuva a deal. People pay tuition (maybe) for 3 or 4 years while others pay taxes for 30-40 years. There was a program the state used years ago called power equalization. I think it disappeared. Big question.......when you reach cut off due to cap sizes being met and potential over crowding what and who determines whom you accept or reject??

These are two responses from a Facebook group on moving to the Union, KY and Florence, KY area:

Health care professional:

It is extremely crowded and traffic is horrible. On the other side (Florence - the Boone County school district) there is a homeless population that is growing larger?. This area, including Florence, specializes in nail salons, Mexican restaurants (alcapulco is the best ) and furniture stores for some reason, so that is a useful fact if you need any of those ?. Oh and Kroger and St. Elizabeth Healthcare are the monopoly rulers in NKY. Other than that, it is nice here.

Senior Citizen:

Union, Ky is an awesome place to live. Gray Middle School and Ryle High School
are two of the best schools around. Union is growing rapidly and you have everything you need. Stay away from Florence, Ky too many homeless people and drugs. NOT the place to be.