Corbin BOE files appeal in reciprocal agreement battle

The Corbin Board of Education has filed its appeal of the Knox County Board of Education’s decision to end the student reciprocal agreement. The state school board must now decide how the appeal will be heard.

Bob Hammons, the attorney for the Corbin Board of Education, said the state board may request the two sides to submit documentation supporting their respective cases as was done when the matter was taken up by Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday, or schedule a date for representatives to make oral arguments before the board.
Hammons said either way, Corbin is ready to move forward.

The dispute between the Corbin and Knox County school boards began in January when the Knox County School Board voted to end the student reciprocal agreement that permitted students living in Knox County to attend Corbin schools without paying tuition and vice-versa, citing the loss of approximately $1.5 million in state funding. An official count revealed that 406 students live in Knox County but attend Corbin schools, while 38 students living in Corbin attend Knox County schools.

In his response to Corbin’s appeal, Holliday ordered the agreement to remain in place through the 2010-11 school year for students already enrolled under the existing agreement while ordering the two sides to engage in mediation to find a permanent solution.

The Corbin School Board voted Feb. 25 to appeal Holliday’s decision to the Kentucky Board of Education.