Wlaf1450The two dozen or so White Oak residents that attended the county commission workshop on Monday swelled on Tuesday night to a standing-room only crowd at Tuesday’s school board meeting, as teachers and parents flooded the courthouse to show their support for improvements to their school building.
Teacher Donna Jones again served as spokesperson for the group, telling board members about safety concerns at the undersized gym and detached classrooms held in trailers.
“On one day last week, my students had to follow an uncovered walkway eight times in the rain,” Jones pointed out.
While county commissioners passed the responsibility for action to the Board of Education, school board members took some definite steps, later passing a motion by Steve Morgan to contract with an architectural firm to conduct a feasibility study that would prepare options for the board, including the possibility of a new gym and remodeling the old one to classroom space as suggested by Jones.
Board member Jeffery Miller stated that he had recently visited the school and looked at their needs. He pointed out that while the school is small, the student population has remained more or less consistent compared to other county schools.
“Since 2009, LaFollette Elementary has lost 165 students and Jacksboro Elementary has declined by 155. White Oak has lost only twelve students from the 2009 student population,” Miller pointed out.
At the outset of the meeting, Pastor Lynn Ray of Hillcrest Baptist Church made a presentation on the success of the Christian Learning Center, which provides Bible study to CCHS students through a Bible Outreach Program.
Ray introduced teachers and a number of students who participated in the program before giving the floor to State Representative Dennis Powers, who pointed out that Campbell County is the first system in the state to have students complete the program made possible through a state law.
Powers announced that a new bill in the legislature would further refine the program, including certification of teachers and increase state support for the program, but with no public funding being used as required by law.
Powers left early, which was unfortunate since he could have responded to another item brought up by board attorney Dail Cantrell. Cantrell told the board that legislation being prepared in Nashville would expand support for school vouchers, an idea being promoted by incoming Governor Bill Lee.
“This program to provide vouchers for up to $10,000 for parents wanting to send their children to private charter schools, would be devastating for public school systems losing just five percent of their students and state funding in rural areas such as Campbell County,” Cantrell told the board.
Several board members urged the public to contact Powers and State Senator Ken Yager to voice opposition to the voucher idea.
The board also approved a number of reports, financial statements and budget amendments, including changes to board policies and a trip by the Jellico High School basketball team and cheerleaders to Destin, Florida on December 26-31 to participate in the “Basketball Blowout” Christmas tournament.
New board member Noah Smith attended his first meeting and was warmly welcomed by other members. Smith urged the board to voice their concerns about the school voucher legislation to Senator Yager, who chairs a critical committee that will consider any voucher bill. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 12/12/2018-8AM)