For the first time in two years, the Local Planning Committee for Carter County Schools held a meeting to hear information regarding consolidating high schools, building a career and technical center, and athletic complex. Those who attended that meeting learned that with ESSER funds, bonding capacity, and a tricky grant granted by the state, the district can afford ground, a new consolidated high school, but nothing else. The district has a budget of roughly $68 million, $30 million for which it can get bonding. Given the cost of construction, that $68 million won’t go far towards a consolidated school, let alone toward the most promising build–a new vocational school.
The promise is that the vocational school can come later after high school, from grants that could, somehow, come later. Later MIGHT be three years, or . . . later. However, the board has long since determined that a new career and technical center is the true need for our district. Dr. Green sees the career center as the greatest opportunity for our students. However, the money grab for time-stamped funds has distracted the decision-makers from their original purpose, which was ensuring more career paths for our students.
This plan is too bare and poorly thought out to even be a sketch. This plan, if sent to the board for approval, will mean this: students will consolidate, have longer bus rides so they can have new hallways and floors, and possibly a new club or class, but little else. This so-called opportunity is little more than hype–it’s a cluster of promises that have no proof of fruition. The cost of consolidation to the Olive Hill community alone–for a broken promise– is dire enough. However, it’s our students who will suffer the greatest cost. Our middle and elementary students have lost much of their education during COVID. To lose their community, to lose the vocational school promised to them (let alone the athletic complex)–well, that’s just unforgivable.
Let us hope the LPC votes no to consolidation. After all, they will have had only two meetings in which to make up their minds, on very little information. The board itself will have no trouble voting yes to promises that have no proof of being made good. We can only hope the committee votes no.
Justin Tackett
Olive Hill