Cox’s Creek parents questions validity of the community campus 6-12 proposal
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Monday, May 3, 2021 — About 70 people attended the Nelson County Schools Community Meeting Monday evening at Cox’s Creek Elementary School to listen and discuss the district’s superintendent make the case for bringing middle school students onto to each high school campus.
Superintendent Wes Bradley told parents and stakeholders that this work that led to this proposal has developed over the past three years.
“It’s our job to create meaningful student opportunities,” Bradley told parents. The proposed Community Campus model — having grads 6-12 at the high schools — will provide greater opportunity for the district’s middle school students, he explained.
Due to differences in the number of middle school students at each school, not all middle schoolers historically have had the equal access to the same clubs or extracurricular programs due to budget constraints. The best way to solve the inequities is to bring middle school students together in their own buildings on each high school campus, he explained.
The Community Campus idea isn’t about saving money, but about using existing tax dollars more efficiently.
Bradley assured parents that middle schoolers would have a safe learning environment in their own dedicated areas on each high school campus. PowerPoint slides show approximations of how middle school buildings would be added to each high school campus. The plan would also include school resource officers dedicated to each campus, he said.
Following his nearly hour-long presentation, the parents met in small groups to address discussion questions.
VARIED PARENT CONCERNS. Parent Jessica Ballard asked about the quality of existing 6-12 school programs and how that reflects on the quality of education that the Community Campus model may offer. She also asked how the teacher-to-student classroom ratios might be affected by the change.
Bradley noted that the 20-member Local Planning Committee (LPC) — will be reconstituted this fall, and will include members from all parts of the community. The LPC examines the school district’s facilities needs and makes recommendations to the school board. State law requires the LPC to develop a facilities plan every four years.
Teresa Bunch told Bradley she was concerned about the economic impact that closing Bloomfield Middle School would have on that community.
Other questions focused on the distance that some parents who live in outlying areas would face to attend their child’s school functions if the middle schools moved to the high school campuses.
Bradley said he anticipated that there activity buses available to provide students with transportation from after school activities, and acknowledged that for families that live in the outer reaches of the county, the bus rides may be longer and the distance may pose an obstacle to some parents’ ability to be involved in school functions.
However, the majority of students attending Bloomfield Middle School actually live closer to one of the district’s high schools, Bradley explained. For more middle schoolers, they’ll be positively impacted by the Community Campus model, he said.
A number of parents in attendance had attended at least one of the previous community meetings at Boston, Bloomfield or New Haven. Many were also involved in a Facebook group called “Save Our Nelson County Schools,” a group with more than 1,200 members, and were part of a Facebook group aimed at voicing parent concerns, and making sure the school board is aware of those concerns.
NEXT UP. The next community meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Foster Heights Elementary School. The following week, there are community meetings scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 10th at Nelson County High School and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 12th at Thomas Nelson High School.
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