Is anyone

**simple man** · February 11th, 2011, 01:33 PM

I think the state can step in when the school system becomes under-funded. That would bring some change and none of our present board members would have to bear any of the blame. I was wondering , if we can't fund the present schools, how are we going to build new ones without the same tax increase? I saw a figure on the 54 million dollar "Basham" plan that would have doubled the amount of local taxes that goes to schools. By now, that will probably be double and you still have old schools. That was one of my major complaints- Basham wanted to put the kids from Appalachia and Big Stone Gap in "mobile classrooms" on the PV parking lot.

**starbuck** · February 11th, 2011, 01:53 PM

at least CEASE will be happy there is still a school in BSG and will they keep fighting for Appy and Pound. They didn't care before the plan was to take away a school in BSG and they can never escape that fact.

**luvthosevols** · February 11th, 2011, 06:40 PM

Last night, Mr. Bates made a substitue motion, in place of the two on one. I can't remember what all his motion included, for the other towns, BUT one thing it did include was to build a new school in Big Stone. I think he and maybe Ms. Kilgore voted for it. Mr. Rivers didn't.

The School Board meets Monday night, Feb. 14, 6:00 at the Education Center. They are supposed to decide then what will happen to six high schools.

**centennialdawg** · February 11th, 2011, 06:59 PM

Yeah, he said that, but he said that to counter Robbins' motion to build a new school at Wise, and to "remodel" the other schools. Seems Bates was too hung up on Robbins calling Castlewood's improvements a renovation instead of remodeling.

And, I think that the "special tool" that Rivers eluded to was that he is working with the county attorney to introduce a resolution for an ordinance for public building codes and inspections. If Kelly is so dilapidated, then this would force the SB to shut Kelly down for safety reasons, thus making Kelly's students go elsewhere such as Pound and Coeburn. Wait and see if this doesn't happen.

**BAMA MAN** · February 11th, 2011, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Sat_morning_QB

As a Norton resident with a wife from Appalachia I watched the whole thing. Why will Pound an Appy be closed and St. Paul in a year or two, because of budget issues.
Jeff Perry had told people the County cannot sustain funding for 6 schools unless there is a double digit tax increase, this was reiterated last night by the County CPA as well! Yet no one listens to that part of the equation do they?
The Va board of eduction has long recomennded the need to cut the number of schools in Wise Co in half, which was what Basaham proposed an they ran him off, hired Perry.
Everyone has focused on getting this done with the new found money the County might get from the power plant, which there is no promise it will open when completed. Dominion has one other power plant in Va it built that isn't operational and I think another in the carolinas; so this one might be finished an set idle as well, an no revenue is produced to help fund anything.
Schools and industry go hand in hand we lost the Northrop-Gruman jobs to Lebanon because of better schools. My History teacher in high school shared a local history story I found interesting and holds true to this day. When the founder of Kodak/Eastman was looking for sites to build his new plant he found the perfect place with a great river to draw from and began looking at the surrounding community at the schools all he found was one that combined k-12 that the locality had no intention of improving. This sealed the deal for him that he would have to go with his second choice which was about 25 miles away , because he knew to attract the best an brightest scientists from around the globe there had to be a top notch school system for their children to attend and this wouldn't succeed. The community he left behind when they had no vision to focus on the infrastructure of their children was Dungannon, Va. How many more our children of Wise co will move away because of lack of jobs? When will we realize our schools are a primary factor in business growth, we have the roadways that isn't a factor in potential business, it's the rundown schools that haven't been updated to even 1990 standards.
That teacher by the was was Jeff Perry at John I. Burton 1986.
One thing nt mentioned also, I think on purpose is the Board of Education has gave Wise Co a deadline to come up with a situation to resolve the issue or there are going to come in and take over and do one themseves. Two of Nortons members were at a BOE meeting back in Oct ad this was brought up and disccussed with them at the time about joint consolodation. The members said they were told there is a deadline and then they will step in takeover fix the school issue with a few options they decide to do and then turn it back over to they county. These plans don' involve Norton, but the members said there was 3 options there were told about, a plan similar to the one voted down but not on the same site, another was 3 new schools, last was one large school, with reference thats what West Virginia done in Mingo Co.
They wasnt told what the deadline was but got the inkling the BOE would step in if nothings finalized by 2012.

Will the sky fall if Dr. Jeff Perry says so. Perry is nothing more than a spout for misinformation. You need to quit grinking his kool-aid and research the facts yourself. You just might find a different story!

**R13** · February 11th, 2011, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by BAMA MAN

Will the sky fall if Dr. Jeff Perry says so. Perry is nothing more than a spout for misinformation. You need to quit grinking his kool-aid and research the facts yourself. You just might find a different story!

Go ahead and debunk what he has said then...

**1inStripes** · February 11th, 2011, 07:45 PM

The story given here about Eastman and Dungannon is very true.

**Biggin** · February 11th, 2011, 07:46 PM

Consolidation HAS to happen. PERIOD. Ive said it a million times on here. the most logical solution is to have two schools on each end of the county. Put one in Wise and one in BSG/Appalachia and be done with it. You could even just renovate PV/AHS and JJK instead of building brand new schools. WC already owns the land at PVHS, and it is a more central location for kids on this end of the county. Not to mention better access. PVHS is right off the interstate, gives a better access point.

Building a new school on the current AHS location seems absolutely absurd to me, but it makes more sense than 2-1. The county HAS to unify! We HAVE to get a solution in place or people will continue to leave this area and OUR COUNTY WILL DIE! IT WILL DIE!

A school in Big Stone WILL NOT be Powell Valley after renovations/building a new school, whats the problem? We KNOW we HAVE to do something, its simply not financially fesiable to keep all these schools open. PERIOD.

And the logical solution to determine sites is to use population and number of kids enrolled. How is it not? It should go by the numbers to be as fair as possible. Wise has more kids than Pound, ergo Pound should close and a school should be in Wise. PV has more kids than AHS, so there should be a school in Big Stone. It would make absolutely no sense to do it the other way around.

BUT, as I have said before, if the people of Appalachia continue to refuse to use any sort of foresight and common sense and refuse to acknowledge that Big Stone makes more sense for a school then Appalachia, build a school in Appalachia! It makes more sense than two on one. The county needs two school on separate locations.

**Unchained** · February 11th, 2011, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by centennialdawg

Yeah, he said that, but he said that to counter Robbins' motion to build a new school at Wise, and to "remodel" the other schools. Seems Bates was too hung up on Robbins calling Castlewood's improvements a renovation instead of remodeling.

And, I think that the "special tool" that Rivers eluded to was that he is working with the county attorney to introduce a resolution for an ordinance for public building codes and inspections. If Kelly is so dilapidated, then this would force the SB to shut Kelly down for safety reasons, thus making Kelly's students go elsewhere such as Pound and Coeburn. Wait and see if this doesn't happen.

Problem with this is Pound is delipidated,so that isn't happening and coev=burn will not hold students from both communities. What a sad clusterfrig this has all become.

**centennialdawg** · February 11th, 2011, 07:56 PM

But, according to all who are involved, Pound is not so dilapidated that it can't be fixed. Folks from Wise have said time and time again, that their school is falling apart and can't be fixed. I have not seen either school in years so I can't say they are or aren't. I am just plainly stating what I thnk they are planning on doing. I do think it is a shame that our elected officials would resort to something such as that.