By Paul Wilson, Guest Columnist
In the Feb. 18 edition of the Cherokee Scout, Publisher David Brown explained that the most critical issue facing candidates for the Cherokee Board of Education and the board of commissioners is the proposed, ill-advised mega school of 1,200-1,300 students, which would close/consolidate four community schools. He could not be more correct, and he is one of many to point this out.
I urge all voters to find out where each candidate stands on this issue before voting.
Non-incumbents may say they cannot know where they stand until they are elected and are able to find out more details. This mega school has been discussed in public meetings, in the newspaper, online and in other forums for at least two years. Those seeking office have had ample time to acquaint themselves with the facts involved. Neither the current school board nor superintendent have provided details to demonstrate that the mega school is a good plan, despite ongoing requests from the public, the local media and the board of commissioners.
Several candidates have acknowledged that, based on everything known at this point, the mega school sounds like a harmful idea. Those candidates are Jason Murphy, Randy Phillips, Dan Eichenbaum, Cal Stiles, Jeana Conley, David Ricks and Mark Stalcup. Hopefully, there are other non-incumbents who agree. I cannot vote for anyone unable to at least acknowledge this.
I’ve heard that some folks in the H.D. and Andrews communities support the mega school because they believe it will protect their schools from consolidation. I have great respect for the people in those communities and care a great deal about those students. I pray they realize that the mega school will be a massive drain on school resources.
In 2021, the superintendent conducted a personnel study, finding that our largest schools feature the greatest “overstaffing” by far, almost 3X. The bigger the student population, the more county-funded positions required for the school to function satisfactorily – contrary to the long-held myth that our smallest schools are less efficient. If the mega school is built, the schools in Andrews and H.D. may still exist, but at what quality? In time, the mega school will likely require at least 3 full-time administrators, 2-3 full-time SROs, 3-plus custodians, 2-plus school counselors, an army of teachers, an army of bus drivers, etc.
The mega school would be the squeakiest wheel by far and would need an enormous amount of grease. And it isn’t only a question of quantity but of quality. Several times in my career as principal, I lost high-quality personnel because they were sorely needed to put out fires at other schools. One superintendent told me, “You put your best resources where the need is greatest.”
I hope taxpayers understand the mega school would cause the number of county-funded positions to increase. Currently, the county funds approximately 23 positions. With the mega school, I predict that number will rise to at least 30. This isn’t a scare tactic but a warning comparable to telling someone to watch their step on an icy sidewalk.
The funding pitfall will be exacerbated by the number of parents who will choose to homeschool their students to avoid the mega school. Each student who is homeschooled removes approximately $8,000 of state funding from our district. The BOE’s “reorganization” of MMS and MCS directly caused at least 15 students to become homeschooled. Do the math, then imagine 50 or 100 additional homeschooled students.
Whoever you support in the upcoming elections, please discuss this information with him/her, and urge your candidates to prevent the mega school from destroying our school system and financially burdening our county.
Paul Wilson
The writer is a resident of
Murphy.