Corbin Alternative School being moved to old Saint Camillus Academy

One of the main instructional facilities that formerly housed classes at Saint Camillus Academy in Corbin will be used for the school district’s alternative school.

The alternative school in Corbin will be gaining some green space, moving from South Main Street to the former St. Camillus Academy campus on Roy Kidd Ave.

At the regular meeting of the Corbin Board of Education the board members approved the move along with the installation of security doors and fiber optic network lines.

The security doors are the second set of doors that remain locked from the inside similar to those at the school system’s other facilities, and and will be installed by Baylor Doors at a cost of $6,561.

The installation of the fiber optics will cost $12,000. McNeel said that is to run the lines, “up the hill” to the building. School system employees will run the lines throughout the building.

The work is scheduled to begin as soon as possible.

“We hope to have it done so the alternative school can be in the building when school opens in August,” McNeel said. “If not, we can move it up there whenever the work is completed.” 

While the day treatment program, as it is otherwise known, is operated by Corbin Independent Schools, it also serves students from Whitley County and Williamsburg schools.

Principal Tom Greer said students ages 12 through 18 with truancy and/or behavioral issues are court ordered to the program for a period of time.

In addition to class time, the students are involved in individual and group counseling sessions with the goal of transitioning them back to traditional school.

Greer said the move will address two issues: The St. Camillus site offers space and facilities for physical education classes and will be used until the planned middle school project can move forward. 

In addition, Greer said the St. Camillus grounds offer a better setting for the students to meet with the counselors.

McNeel said the middle school remains the top priority for the school system. The biggest hurdle remains for the school system to secure sufficient bonding capacity to finance the project. 

McNeel said previously that the school system has tied up its bonding capacity in the construction of the primary school and the renovation of the high school.

Bonding capacity is similar to a home mortgage. McNeel said a school system or other government entity generates bonding capacity based on the building funds available. Bonds are sold, which converts the building funds to 13 to 14 times its original value. The bonds are paid off over a 20-year period.

“It will be way down in the future,” McNeel said referring to a timeframe on the construction of the new middle school.

In April, the board took another step toward turning the site into the new middle school when it began searching for an architect to design the master plan.

McNeel noted when construction begins on the middle school, the alternative school would be returned to the current building on South Main Street.

The Corbin School Board and the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence reached an agreement in September 2013 for the school system to purchase the property after the Catholic school was closed in May 2013 after 105 years of operation.

The school system paid $1 million for the 26 acres of property and two buildings. As part of the agreement, the payments are being made over a five-year period.