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EXTRA CONTENT: Knox parents promise fight over decision to end reciprocal agreement with Corbin Schools
Posted On 20 Jan 2010
About 300 concerned parents attended a meeting to organize their opposition to a recent decision by the Knox County Board of Education to end its "non-resident reciprocal agreement" with the Corbin Schools, a move that would affect about 169 students who live in the Knox County School District but instead attend Corbin Schools.
Dr. Paul Cooney, a family practice physician in Barbourville, organized the event, held Monday at 7:00 p.m. at Grace on the Hill United Methodist Church. He lives in a subdivision off of Hwy. 830 in northwestern Knox County, and said the decision has a direct impact on him. His three children – a high school freshman, seventh grader and second grader – all go to Corbin schools.
"This was just a way to get our heads together and get a plan," Cooney said. "This was just something we can do as parents to try to combat this situation. I’m like a lot of people … I think something the board didn’t take into consideration was the emotional aspect of how it will affect these kids."
The five-member Board of Education voted unanimously last Monday, during a special meeting, not to sign a reciprocal agreement with the Corbin Schools, mirroring a decision the board made in 1996. Two years later, the school district relented. Board members and administrators say the decision was financial, pointing out the school district was losing around $530,000 in state funding because of students attending Corbin.
Without the agreement in place, parents who do not live in the Corbin School District will be forced to either pay tuition to send their child to the city’s schools – a $1,200 a year expense – move into the district, or seek educational guardianships or educational powers of attorney from the courts.
Many of those in attendance swore solemn oaths that their children would never attend Knox County Schools, citing underperformance on standardized tests and failure to meet federal No Child Left Behind requirements in many areas.
"The reason I moved here was because of these schools. I could have moved many other places," said Paula Hummell, who said she left the northern Kentucky area and moved south because of the reputation of the Corbin schools. She has two children that attend schools in Corbin. "I have a 14-year-old who is at home crying right now. We kept this from her until right before we came here tonight."
Hummell said she feels as though "parent participation" in the Corbin schools is something that sets it apart from other school districts.
Hummell created a special Facebook page called "Knox Parents for Corbin Schools" through which people who oppose the decision can communicate. As of Tuesday, the page had 148 "friends."
Cooney said everyone should attend the next meeting of the Knox County Board of Education to express their thoughts on the issue.
The next meeting of the Knox County Board of Education is scheduled for Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. According to David Cole, Public Information Officer for the Knox County School District, the meeting is planned to be held at the Board of Education Annex on but will be moved to the old Knox Central Gymnasium if a large number of people attend. A half an hour of discussion has been set aside just to address the reciprocal agreement and opposition to the board’s decision.
On Monday, Cooney suggested that several people be selected to speak on behalf the group regarding different areas of impact of the decision, including: educational differences between the two districts, the emotion impact on students and the effect on property values in western Knox County.
One of the "spokespersons" for the effort, 16-year-old Corbin High School student Jordan Jones, said she plans to give the board a student’s perspective on their decision.
"Corbin is just such a great school. I love it there and I don’t want to leave," Jones said. "That’s where all my friends are and there are just so many opportunities I have there that I don’t have anywhere else … I just love everything about it."
Jordan’s mother, Kim Jones, said she was shocked when she first heard of the decision and is proud of her daughter for volunteering to address the board. She said she would pay tuition if necessary to keep her daughter at Corbin.
The group generally discussed legal options, including a law that appears to allow Corbin Schools to appeal the Knox school board’s decision to the Commissioner of the Board of Education (KRS 157.350).
According to Jeff Coulter, an Education Financial Analyst with the Kentucky Department of Education, KDE only receives copies of reciprocal agreements between school districts for "data" purposes.
"Ultimately, that is a board decision," he said. "We don’t have the power to force them to do it or not do it."
On Tuesday, Corbin School Superintendent Ed McNeel said he was aware of the law and that it was currently being scrutinized by Board Attorney Bob Hammons.
"I’ve asked legal advice about what that means. It’s being researched," McNeel said.
Another issue discussed at the meeting was that of "educational guardianship." Essentially, parents can seek permission from the courts to cede all educational decision-making rights to someone else. The practice is done for a number of reasons. Even if parents live outside the Corbin School District, if the child’s "educational guardian" resides in the district, then that child can attend school there. Also, any state funds attached to that student would go to the district.
Another, even simpler option exists for parents as well – "educational power of attorney." The process requires only that parents fill out a form giving decision-making authority for medical or school purposes to someone else, and filing it with the local district court clerk. The measure does not require a judge’s approval.
Court officials say most area school districts recognize educational powers of attorney as legitimate. The Knox County School District does not.
Since the decision, some concerns have arisen regarding if the Whitley County School’s Board of Education would approve a reciprocal agreement with Corbin for the upcoming school year. Some parents at the meeting voiced that worry as well.
On Tuesday, Delmar Mahan, Chairman of the Whitley County Board of Education, said there has been no discussion of discontinuing an agreement with Corbin. He added that he was fairly sure the current agreement does not run out until after the 2010-2011 school year.
"As far as I know, we have no problems with Corbin. There’s been no discussion about doing that," Mahan said. "I don’t see any problem with keeping that agreement going. We get along good with Corbin schools."
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Where does the Superintendent of the Knox County School System live and where do his children attend school?
Welcome to america!!! SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!! HELL WITH YOUR KIDS!!!!
As a graduate and also a parent of children who attend Knox Co schools, I would like to say I am proud of my children for their accomplishments and education. However, in all fairness, I would like to voice my opinion in this matter. I do not agree with breaking the agreement with Corbin Indepentent schools for the following reason. At the January board meeting, it was stated over and over with a powerpoint presentation that the decision is strictly for bringing more money back into the county. If the Knox Co Board is so worried about the money, fine, take all the kids and put them in the county systems they belong. I heard someone say that if they took the kids from Barbourville Independent it would close the school. Well, that’s what happened to the Artemus school! Why should they be any different? I have many family members and friends who are employed by the Knox Co Board. Do they send their children to the school in the district where they live?? NO! They do not. They seem to split them between Lay, G R Hampton and Barbourville Ind. If you are going to force some to abide by district rules, do the fair thing and force them all.
Very interesting. Can’t wait to see how this works out. Great reporting!
I think this whole issue is going to get really ugly. Lot of hard feelings before it is all said and done.
the board of education in knox county needs to address the professional standards of its teachers. we the parents over hear our kids talking about the things that go on in the school system. the whole system needs improved from some of the rules at the high school. it is off the wall that kids have to have an escort to use the bathroom. some one needs to sit down and use some common sense the whole system at the high school needs fixed i have two there now a senior and soph i have 2 in elem that will not go to the high school good luck but knox county parents are sick of it. there are two many people looking for teaching jobs to put up with some of the teachers we have now. some of these teachers use tenure to keep their jobs and our kids deserve better that that one of my kids has an art class and are not required to turn in any work at all and this teacher gives kids what grade she wants to give them she gave her a B.you know the parents that really care and are trying to push their kids to do the best they can do to get good grades to try to get scholarships and you got a teacher that just hands out grades you get an a if you are on the list if not you get a B and this student was a straight A student till this. it was all i could do to keep from freaking out and going to school to confront the teacher but this would only make things worse. you know it should’nt feel like you are wasting your time by sending the kids to school but that is the way alot of parents feel in the county.i don”t know who sets the rules at the high school but the board of education needs to look at it. i for one will pay tutition to keep my other kids from going to the high school that we have now i feel like corbin or barbourville deserve the money more rather than let the state give it to knox for being failures they our letting ours kids down but as a parent i will not stand by and let it go on my other kids will have a better shot a an education but it will be in a different county system. everyone needs to write the state and let them come in and audit the system because they deserve no state money for failure.
This issue has been through the courts several times in the past 20 years. It all comes down to who is paying property tax and where. The county district collects taxes from residents for the express purpose of educating students in that county. The city does the same for students in the city. Neither district is required to send the money collected from their citizens to another district. What would happen someone in Pike County wanted to send their student to a school in Fulton? Should Pike Co. be required to send the money from their citizens to the other end of the state? The same situation exists even when one district resides inside the other.
Parents of the county district should concentrate on ridding themselves of non-functional leadership in, and work to improve the county schools instead of wasting all the money on lawyers and court cases.
Well, I clicked on the form there but I can’t get it to print out. Where can you pick one up at?
im going to check into this educational power of attorney option. i did not know you could do anything like that so easy. i have three kids that go to corbin schools and i cannon affort to pay all that tuition. it is not fair for them to make a decision like this. my brother and sister live in the city and i know they will help me out on this. all parents if they know someone that lives int eh city like a relative or somethign should do the same. just fill out the paper!!!! easy!!!
From all of the parents who have been hurt by this I want to thank you for your very thorough reporting. You brought of a bunch of things I didn’t even know about. Keep up the good work!
Another great article, Trent. Thank you!!